This year's Cannes Film Festival is in full flow. With a huge programme of films being previewed, premiered, sold and binned over the two weeks it is difficult for even attendees to keep up with what's hot and what's not at Cannes. Our Cannes Watch articles will, however, give you the lowdown on all the big films shown this year, showing you the inside track on what to expect from the next 12 months of film. We start with two much-admired Australian directors' latest efforts.

Killing Them Softly

The second collaboration between Australian director Andrew Dominik and leading man Brad Pitt (after 2007's acclaimed though financially unsuccessful The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), this dark hitman film, based on the George V. Higgins novel of the same name, has been met with strong reactions from the press at Cannes. Also starring The Sopranos' James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta and Ray Mendehlson the movie is said to contain a political subtext beneath its grimy, hard boiled aesthetic. One for those who like their crime movies with an intellectual edge, perhaps.

Lawless

While much of the talk at this year's Cannes Film Festival was about the returning Michael Haneke's much praised Amour, which took the Palmes D'Or, there was also plenty of chatter about another film, which only showed in snippets. P.T. Anderson's The Master is due out in October but the director took a short snatch from the project to the festival to give the world its first glimpse of what promises to be a controversial film on its release. 

Starring Joaquian Phoneix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams, the film concerns a charismatic man who starts his own religion in the wake of World War 2 and quickly attracts a ferverent following. His right hand man, an ex-army drifter, initially is his strongest supporter but later finds himself questioning the cause. Phoneix is the ex-army drifter, Hoffman is the leader and Adams plays the leader's wife. Aside from that not much is known about The Master, but anyone who knows the history of Scientology will be able to immediately flag up a potentially troublesome narrative.

The plot would appear to closely mirror the rise of L. Ron Hubbard's religion in the 1950s. Though producers have been quick to dismiss the notion (perhaps for fear of the religion's famously litigious organisers), there are clear similarities. For most film fans, however, the real excitement will come from seeing what Anderson has to offer after the epochal There Will Be Blood. Since that film's release in 2007 public opinion seems to be divided into two camps: those who loved it to the point of obsession and those who hated it with equal fervour.

The Cannes Film Festival is the premiere festival for the world of cinema. It is where art and commerce clash, a huge glitzy melting pot where the all film has to offer is whisked into a heady two week cocktail. There is always controversy, always glamour, always stars and, invariably, some great quotes every year. Here are some of the most famous, infamous, funny and strange quotes made by the great and good (and in some cases, the not-so-good) either at or about the Cannes Film Festival.

“Cannes is a very strange place. I tried to show up as best I could and to try not to be cynical.” Lili Taylor

“There has never been a female director who has won an Oscar. There has only been one woman who won at the Cannes Film Festival.” Salma Hayek

“I remember in 1968 when we were in Cannes, in the festival, and we were supposed to be there 10 days, and the second day the festival collapsed because the French, you know, film-makers raised the red flag in the festival and ended the festival.” Milos Forman

“Ever since the movie premiered at Cannes, I've had a sudden surge of scripts and interest.” Berenice Bejo

“When I have to go to Cannes, that is boring to me.” Monica Bellucci

“After Cannes, my agent told me to get the next flight to LA. He was right. I had a part in 'Prime Suspect 3' by the end of the week.” David Thewlis

“So, where's the Cannes Film Festival being held this year?” Christina Aguilera

The Lexi Cinema in Kensal Rise is a world away from the IMAX screens and palatial multiplexes which are sprouting up around London. There is always a new place, and a new experience around the corner with all the embellishments and finery to be expected of a multi-million pound franchise, designed by bureaucrats and not film lovers.

Now entertainment has never been an issue in a major city like London, but Londoners are too often spoilt for choice. Whether it is a shopping mall with inbuilt cinema screens, and the adjoining spa for your wary feet, it is certain that cinemas are not what they used to be. But if you want your movie fix untainted, without all of the distractions, there is no more intimate and alluring space than this, the Lexi.

Facing out onto Chamberlyne Road, the Edwardian façade betrays the sense of space and openness inside. It is apparent straight away that this is a state of the art digital cinema. It has a small capacity, just 80 souls, and comes equipped with comfy seats and tables at the front, with the more authentic isle seating at the back. Even the popcorn is made in the olden style in the foyer and handed out by the bowl full.

They will show a diversity of mainstream films as well as the more obscure art house films, and it encompasses both new and old releases. Films such as The Iron Lady, featuring Meryl Streep in a wonderfully rich flashback to the reign of Margaret Thatcher, and Another Earth, a sci-fi infused flick which has won countless awards.

Ricky Gervais will host the Golden Globes for a second time and the British comic, who is renowned for his acerbic wit and refusal to toe the line, has promised never to dampen down his jokes to appease the glitterati of Hollywood. Offence is something that occurs every day he believes, and he can't allow that to get in the way of his jokes.

Many critics said he went too far the last time he hosted the awards while others championed him as a breath of fresh air, poking fun and directing coded jibes at some of Hollywood's untouchables such as Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie and Tom Cruise. But Gervais believes that this level of interest means he is doing something right. By causing debate, and making people think, he is doing his job.

Gervais has been stoking the fire on social networking site Twitter prior to his second coming, posting a picture of himself in front of a well-known plastic surgeons clinic with a hand full of money and a screwed up face. He then added the line “Some last minute preparation so I don't look out of place at The Golden Globes.”

The Office writer has promised fireworks and says that not even the producer of the show will know what is coming with his spontaneous, off-the-cuff remarks. He said: “I do it my way. I get final edit on everything. And they don't know what I'm going to say. And they won't know what I'm going to say 'til I say it.”

It is one of the most prestigious awards a film can receive and it is awarded at the most famous film festival of them all. Since it was first handed over to Delbert Mann for his 1954 classic Marty the 24 carat prize and symbol of the festival has had a long, controversial history which it shares with some of the most famous and infamous filmmakers of the last 60 years. 

Where the prize has really defined itself is that it is not necessarily awarded to the most commercially sound film at the festival or even the one most popular with audiences but instead to the director of the film which was the most challenging, provocative and artistically interesting. Though this means that winning the prize comes as a great boost in credibility to any film and its maker, it does not always mean commercial success. In fact, quite a number of Palmes d'Or winners have gone on to flop pretty comprehensively at the box office upon general release. A great example of this is the Coen Brothers' mysterious, philosophical Barton Fink which, despite taking home the Palm in 1991 went on to scrape back only about half of its budget in cinemas.

The award has, however, also been responsible for bringing many of cinema's greatest directors to the world's attention. Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, which won the 1994 Palmes d'Or, made him an international household name, while Martin Scorsese's 1976 win with Taxi Driver announced that he was not simply an interesting independent American filmmaker but a major voice on the world stage.

The judging panel at Cannes have never shied away from the controversial either, often giving the prize to the most incendiary piece of work from the festival's programme. Take for example the 2003 victory for Gus Van Sant's highly controversial Elephant or Ken Loach's 2006 victory with The Wind That Shakes The Barley both of which touched off firestorms of debate.

The Sundance Film Festival, that most prestigious of all independent film festivals, finishes up this week and by all accounts it has been another great year for the gathering in Utah which launched the careers of, amongst others, Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith and Steven Soderbergh. This year's programme has featured some truly startling work from directors both new and familiar and is a great indication that 2012 will be as good a year for new releases as 2011 was. 

Amongst the most talked about films in Park City this year is Red Hook Summer, Spike Lee's first fully fledged feature film since 2008. In the time since that year's poorly received Miracle at St. Anna Lee has concentrated on documentaries so it is great to see the distinctive New York filmmaker going back to fiction and getting back on form. His latest tells the story of a young man moving to the titular New York area during a long, hot summer. It sees Lee return to his most recognisable territory of larger than life characters, smart social commentary and sly, ironic humour. 

Also getting much notice at this year's festival is Red Lights a paranormal thriller from Rodgrigo Cortes. Cortes, whose claustrophobic horror Buried thrilled audiences in Park City two years ago, had an all-star cast at his disposal for his latest with Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro heading the credits. Those who have seen it have described Red Lights as, amongst other things, “movie magic” and “exhilarating cinema”. It most certainly will be one to watch out for in 2012.

Also worth keeping an eye on the cinema listings for this year will be Weston Currie's The Perception of Moving Targets, Julie Delpy's third outing as writer/ director 2 Days in New York and Antonio Campos' Simon Killer all of which have attracted positive notes over the last two weeks.

The SIFF is the largest film festival in the United States, screening the most films and welcoming the highest number of attendees. The festival screens 400 films in the period of a month across the city of Seattle. The 38th edition of this festival will take place in 2012 on 17 May to 10 June.

The goal of the festival is to promote the art of filmmaking and encourage the understanding of other countries through cinema. The festival screens all genres of films. In 2012 the festival will take place on 29 September to 14 October.

This is the only film festival in North America that accepts films that are financed by the film-makers themselves. Therefore, there is no pressure on festival organisers to screen the films that sponsors and funders want. The festival is held in Los Angeles, Toronto, New York and London. The Los Angeles-leg takes place on 15 March to 21 March 2012.

A great festival for those who enjoy experimental films and independent films, founded in 1963, the Ann Arbour Film Festival is one of the longest running festivals of its kind in North America. In 2012 the 50th edition of the festival will take place on March 27 to 1 April.

Now into its 26th year, the LLGFF will be held from the 23 March - 1 April, shorter than the usual two week festival but aiming to provide more variety than ever before. Dubbed the ‘cultural and social highlight of London's LGBT calendar' the festival continues to be a success year after year. The organisers guarantee an atmosphere not found anywhere outside the LLGFF. The 2012 LLGFF will see an exploration of ethnic diversity in the programming and an incorporation of new digital technologies which haven't been seen in previous years.

The Student Film Festival will be on 3-5 February this year. It will give students the chance to meet with industry professionals and will screen feature films and shorts made by British and International students judged by a panel of experts. It will be held at the London College of Communication and will be the first international festival held solely for students. The festival aims to unite ambitious students with seasoned professionals.

The London Independent Film Festival is set for the 12-23 April this year. The festival will showcase micro-budget and no-budget films from UK indie filmmakers, providing opportunities for unrecognised talent to shine. A worldwide collaboration of filmmakers will come together to discuss, display, and publicize talented work. The Festival focuses on first and second time directors, low budget films, and those that have gone unnoticed - giving them a platform to exhibit their work.

The 36th Toronto International Film Festival was held from 8th September to 18th September, 2011. This film festival forms an integral part of the marketing strategy of most Hollywood films. Initially, when the festival was conceptualised, it was known as the “Festival of Festivals” where the organisers handpicked some of the best films from across the globe and showcased them in Toronto.

The Festival was started in 1976 by the Windsor Arms Hotel, Canada. Today, it is one of the most well attended and glamorous film festivals of the world.

A large number of Hollywood studios premiere their new releases at this film festival. It is due to the fact that this festival is comparatively inexpensive as compared to many European film festivals like Berlin and Cannes.

Some of the latest movies which were premiered at Toronto are: Up in the Air, Antichrist, Black Swan and 127 Hours. Slumdog Millionaire which premiered at Toronto went on to win eight Oscar awards.

When the Toronto film festival started, it was held at the Yorkville neighbourhood. Now it is held on a much larger scale at the Toronto Entertainment District.