Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lawrence and Tom Cruise are among the Hollywood stars who are expected to hit the red carpet at this year's Cannes Film Festival, which starts on Tuesday. Cannes is one of the most prestigious festivals in the film calendar,

Below are some facts about the event and this year's contenders. * How did it begin? Cannes is the world's biggest film festival, first conceived in 1939 as an alternative to Venice's film extravaganza which was then under the sway of the ruling fascists.