Watch the Indiana Jones trailer

Harrison Ford will provide the greatest excitement at this year's Festival de Cannes, organisers announced today.

The veteran star appears in Stephen Spielberg's latest Indiana Jones movie, to be shown out of competition.

In a line-up with fewer big-name filmmakers than in previous years, directors Clint Eastwood, Steven Soderbergh and Wim Wenders go head-to-head with exciting upcoming talent for the Palme d'Or, the festival's most prestigious award.

Clint Eastwood's latest movie as director, Changeling, stars Angelina Jolie, Soderbergh's four-hour biopic of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara stars Benicio Del Toro - and comprises two films, Guerrilla and The Argentine.

Announcing the line-up in Paris, organisers said many of the festival's favourite directors are working on new productions.

International interest will be focused on Spielberg's latest Indy picture.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the fourth instalment in the blockbuster series starring Harrison Ford as the daredevil archaeologist who had his first outing in Raiders of the Lost Ark, way back in 1981.

Critics and audiences alike will be keen to see if Ford, 65, can still cut it at as an action hero, at an age where most archaeologists are collecting their pensions.

Cannes traditionally provides an exciting mix of veteran names and hip new talent, blending red carpet razzamatazz and serious art house fare, and 2008 is no exception.

This year 19 pictures will compete for the prestigious Palme d'Or, including films from Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Directors vying for the top prize include Brazil's Walter Salles, Canada's Armenian-born Atom Egoyan, China's Jia Zhangke and Nuri Bilge Ceylan of Turkey.

This year's awards jury is chaired by Sean Penn, who won an Oscar for Mystic River and is the acclaimed director of The Pledge and Into the Wild.

Editor's choice

• Vote for the Breakthrough Award winner
• David Tennant back as Hamlet after back surgery
• Matt Smith is the new Dr Who