The 2013 Cannes film festival opens on Wednesday with Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby" and ends on May 26 with the presentation of the coveted Palme D'Or award for best film.

Hundreds of movies will be showcased at the world's biggest film festival held on the glamorous French Riviera, where stars walk the red carpet and film professionals buy and sell titles hoping to snare the next hit.

Following is a list of 15 films which are generating buzz in the run-up to the 66th Cannes film festival:

- THE GREAT GATSBY by Baz Luhrmann, Australia (OPENING FILM/OUT OF COMPETITION)

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Isla Fisher

Synopsis: A war veteran finds himself lured into the lavish lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor.

- INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS by Coen Brothers, USA (IN COMPETITION)

Stars: Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman

Synopsis: A singer-songwriter navigates New York's folk music scene during the 1960s.

- ONLY GOD FORGIVES by Nicolas Winding Refn, Denmark (IN COMPETITION)

Stars: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas

Synopsis: A drug-smuggler in Bangkok's underworld has his life further complicated when his mother compels him to find and kill the people behind his brother's recent death.

- JIMMY P. (PSYCHOTHERAPY OF A PLAINS INDIAN) by Arnaud Desplechin, France (IN COMPETITION)

Stars: Benicio del Toro, Mathieu Amalric

Synopsis: A Blackfoot Indian returns from World War II with a mystery illness and requires the help of a psychoanalyst.

- THE IMMIGRANT by James Gray, USA (IN COMPETITION)

Stars: Jeremy Renner, Joaquin Phoenix, Marion Cotillard

Synopsis: An immigrant woman is forced into a life of burlesque and vaudeville until a dazzling magician tries to save her and reunite her with her sister.

- LA VéNUS à LA FOURRURE (Venus in Fur) by Roman Polanski, France (IN COMPETITION)

Stars: Emmanuelle Seigner, Mathieu Amalric

Synopsis: An actress tries to convince a director that she's perfect for a role in his upcoming production.

- BEHIND THE CANDELABRA by Steven Soderbergh, USA (IN COMPETITION)

Stars: Matt Damon, Rob Lowe, Michael Douglas

Synopsis: Based on an autobiographical novel, this recounts the tempestuous relationship between Liberace and his lover.

- BLOOD TIES by Guillaume Canet, France (OUT OF COMPETITION)

Stars: Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana, Marion Cotillard, Clive Owen, Billy Crudup

Synopsis: Two brothers from either side of the law face off over organized crime in Brooklyn during the 1970s.

- BOMBAY TALKIES by four Indian directors (SPECIAL SCREENINGS)

Stars: Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan

Synopsis: One hundred years of Hindi cinema is celebrated in four stories showcasing the power of film.

- THE BLING RING by Sofia Coppola, USA (UN CERTAIN REGARD)

Stars: Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson

Synopsis: Based on true events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities' whereabouts to rob their homes.

- NEBRASKA by Alexander Payne, USA (IN COMPETITION)

Stars: Bruce Dern, Will Forte

Synopsis: An aging alcoholic father heads to Nebraska to claim a million dollar prize he claims to have won, accompanied by his estranged son.

- ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE by Jim Jarmusch, USA (IN COMPETITION)

Stars: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska

Synopsis: An underground musician and his enigmatic lover are together for several centuries in this film described by its director as a "crypto-vampire love story" until little sister turns up to ruin things for everyone.

- AS I LAY DYING by James Franco, USA (UN CERTAIN REGARD)

Stars: James Franco, Danny McBride, Beth Grant, Jim Parrack

Synopsis: Based on the 1930 classic by William Faulkner, this tells the story of the death of Addie Bundren and her family's quest to honour her wish to be buried in the nearby town of Jefferson.

- JEUNE & JOLIE (Young & Beautiful) by Francois Ozon, France (IN COMPETITION)

Stars: Marine Vacth, Charlotte Rampling

Synopsis: The story of a 17-year-old girl's sexual discovery through what Ozon describes as "four seasons and four songs".

- THE PAST by Asghar Farhadi, Iran (IN COMPETITION)

Stars: Berenice Bejo, Tahar Rahim, Ali Mosaffa

Synopsis: An Iranian man with ongoing domestic problems deserts his wife and two children to go back to his homeland.