12 hot favorites competing in Cannes

Ahead of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Spain's star director Pedro Almodóvar claimed, "You can survive well without having the Palme d'Or." Despite being a regular of the world's most important festival of its kind, he hasn't won the top trophy yet. However, if his love drama "Julieta" (starring Adriana Ugarte, pictured) were to win, he probably wouldn't turn down the honor either.

The two Belgian brothers, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, have been more successful than Almodóvar at snatching the cherished trophy: They've received the Palme d'Or twice already. Their latest film, "La Fille Inconnue," tells the story of a young doctor played by Adèle Haenel (pictured) who tortures herself over her failure to assist a person in need.

British director Ken Loach is another past winner of the Palme d'Or. Just like his other works, his new film "I, Daniel Blake" throws an unsparing, and yet compassionate look at the lower social classes. The movie tells the story of 59-year old Daniel who sees himself forced to rearrange his life following a heart attack, assisted by a single mother of two.

Another established name in Cannes is Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, who took home the top award in 2007 for his heartbreaking abortion drama, "4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days." His latest film, "Bacalaureat," is about an overambitious father who has invested everything he has in the education of his daughter, only to have his plans upset by unforeseen events shortly before she takes her exam.

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi finished his new film "Forushande" just in time to make it among the 21 competing films. The Oscar and Golden Bear-winning filmmaker tells in "Forushande" the story of a young couple whose relationship is fundamentally affected by dramatic events.

Olivier Assayas is one of the many French directors to have made it into the Cannes competition. His film "Personal Shopper" is a modern ghost story set in present-day Paris. American actress Kristin Stewart plays a woman who is dissatisfied with her job, while mourning for her dead twin brother. Germany is among the co-producers of "Personal Shopper."

Jim Jarmusch is one of three US directors to have joined the race for the Palme d'Or. Jarmusch, who has already won the trophy for the best short film in 1993, now presents his new film "Paterson" at the Cote d'Azur. It describes the daily life of a bus driver (Adam Driver) in Paterson, New Jersey. Each day follows the same boring routine, and is yet a unique experience.

This has been a special year for Jeff Nichols. Barely three months ago, his film "Midnight Special" competed at the Berlinale. Now the US director is once again a contender at a top film fest. In "Loving," Nichols recounts the court case "Loving v. Virginia," dating back to 1967. Back then, a law against mixed-race marriages was dropped in Virginia.

Stirring a lot of attention, this is the US actor's fifth film as a director. Sean Penn will be presenting his latest production in Cannes. "The Last Face" is a drama set in two African countries beset by wars and other disasters, Sudan and Liberia. That's where a development aid worker (Charlize Theron), meets a doctor (Javier Bardem) - a promising encounter.

Over the last few years, Dutch director Paul Verhoeven has mainly been working in Hollywood, where his thriller "Basic Instinct" was hailed as a world success in 1992. Verhoeven returned to Europe to work on the German-French co-production "Elle," starring Isabelle Huppert. She plays a woman threatened by a masked violent thug.

The Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, who attained cult status with his US film "Drive," has emerged as one of the most sought-after directors of international cinema. His contribution, "The Neon Demon," has a lot of box office potential. Set against the background of the LA fashion scene, Refn reports on the frightening experiences made by a model. "The Neon Demon" was produced by Amazon.

Being a Cannes outsider might bring luck to the German director Maren Ade, contending with her film "Toni Erdmann." The last German contribution to have made it into the competition was Wim Wenders in 2008. Maren Ade analyzes the complicated relationship between a father (Peter Simonischek) and his daughter (Sandra Hüller).