Cannes Opens: Stars walk the red carpet

Wednesday evening saw the 61st Cannes Film Festival open with stars hitting the red carpet and doing what they do best – posing for the shutterbugs, air kissing and showing off their designer wear.

So, while Eva Longoria sported a dramatic electric blue, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan played it safe with black. If Faye Dunaway chose an elegant ensemble, then Julianne Moore experimented with not-so-exciting frills.

Cannes Jury head, Sean Penn was accompanied by Natalie Portman and also spotted were Cate Blanchett and Gael Garcia Barnal.

But it wasn't just about designer wear. Cannes was a public platform for many. Earlier in the day, Jury President, actor Sean Penn took digs at President George Bush.

"It is almost a wrong phrase, the politics of George Bush. It is kind of the inane stupidity and for lack of good, the absolute evil of it," he said.

While Iranian graphic novelist and filmmaker, Marjane Satrapi chose to talk about the necessity of smoking. "If for some medical reason we need to smoke, would it bother you if we smoke."

And Aishwarya Rai Bachchan got chatty about having babies.

"I'm a normal girl just like anybody else, but it will happen when it has to happen," she said.

But the star of the day was clearly Jack Black who walked in with 40 giant pandas to kick off the festival and promote his film, Kung Fu Panda. He even shared his kung fu moves, but that was before he made a faux pas and revealed to the press, that his co-star Angelina Jolie is expecting twins soon.

The festival opened with Blindness, directed by Fernando Meirelles of the City Of God fame.

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