Michael Cuesta
© AFP Francois Guillot

DEAUVILLE, France (AFP) - The first film shown in competition at the festival, held every September in the northern French seaside resort, was Michael Cuesta's second feature, "Twelve and Holding".

Cuesta's first film, "L.I.E", won the jury prize at Deauville in 2002.

"Twelve and Holding", a rites-of-passage tale in which three suburban 12-year-olds come to terms with the death of one of their peers, was similarly well-received.

But there were fears that being shown first could put it at a disadvantage in the competition.

The film has been a critical success in America but has failed to attract large audiences, not least because under-17s are not allowed to go and see it.

Cuesta, however, encouraged parents to take their children to see the film, adding that he felt it had been misunderstood in the United States.

"I think this movie is healing, in a way. The American audience sees it as a dark movie, I see it as a real movie," he said. "Is it a movie for children or for adults? I think it's both."

Children are a recurring theme at this year's festival: the second film to be shown in competition, "Little Miss Sunshine", tells the story of a seven-year-old who enters a "mini miss" beauty contest.

Garcia's jury, which includes the actors Antoine de Caunes, Amira Casar and Guillaume Canet, the singer Julien Clerc and the writer Philippe Djian, will see 11 films before awarding its prizes on Sunday.

Outside of competition, the festival on Saturday hosted the French premiere of Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center", the first Hollywood film to focus on the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York.

Sunday saw the premiere of Brian de Palma's long-awaited James Ellroy adaptation, "The Black Dahlia".

©AFP