Here's who will represent India at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, even as the year's films draw a blank for the first time in a decade

72nd Cannes Film Festival kicks off on Tuesday with India missing from official selection for first time this dece. last time world's largest movie-producing nation drew a blank in Cannes was in 2009.  

2019 edition of 12-day festival (May 14 to 25) will open with screening of Jim Jarmusch's zombie satire ' De Don't Die', one of 21 titles competing for Palme d'Or.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Deepika Pukone, and Huma Qureshi will, as always, walk red carpet but India will have thing to show for its massive yearly output of films in any of main sections of festival this year.

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However, three ex-students of Kolkata's Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), who are just starting out in ir careers, will ensure a peripheral but genuine presence for country in globe's biggest cinema carnival. 

Since 2010, year Vikramitya Motwane's 'Udaan' me it to Un Certain Regard, India has h a film every single year in Cannes' official selection.

'Bollywood: Greatest Love Story Ever Told' (Out of Competition, 2011), 'Miss Lovely' (Un Certain Regard, 2012), 'Monsoon Shootout' (Out of Competition, 2013), 'Bombay Talkies' (Special Screenings, 2013), 'Titli' (Un Certain Regard, 2014), 'Masaan' and 'Chauthi Koot' (both Un Certain Regard, 2015), 'Gudh' (Cinefondation, 2016) and ' Cinema Travellers' (Cannes Classics, 2016), 'Afteron Clouds' (Cinefondation, 2017) and 'Manto' (Un Certain Regard, 2018) me Cannes cut after 'Udaan' h ended a six-year drought. 

In 2017, Cannes did t select any feature-length Indian film, but Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) alumna Payal Kapia's short film "Afteron Clouds" me it to festival's Cinefondation competition for film schools.

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Meghalaya's Dominic Sangma, Darjeeling l Saurav Rai (maker of 2016 Cannes entry "Gudh") and cinematographer Modhura Palit will be in festival this year to participate in three different official segments.

Sangma, whose debut film, Garo-langu "Ma'Ama" (Moan), premiered in Mumbai Film Festival last year, will explore co-production tie-ups for his sophomore effort, "Rapture". under-production film is one of ten projects in La Fabrique des Cinema du Monde, a programme hosted by Institut Francais. 

It invites ten directors working on ir first or second features to festival along with ir producers. Sangma will participate along with Chinese co-producer Jianshang Xu, who was also involved in making of "Ma'Ama". 

up-and-coming filmmaker will receive guidance from Mira Nair, first Indian to win Camera d'Or in Cannes (for 'Salaam Bombay', 1988). She has been named patron of La Fabrique 2019. 

Saurav Rai will pitch his debut work-in-progress narrative feature, 'Nimtoh' (Invitation), in 'HAF (Hong Kong  Asia Film Financing Forum) Goes to Cannes' programme in festival's Marche du Film (Film Market). 

'Nimtoh' is among five projects selected by HAF Work-in-Progress Lab in March to participate in a pitching session in Cannes. film's co-producer Sanjay Gulati will be in attendance. 

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Kolkata cinematographer Modhura Palit will travel to Cannes to be part of 7th edition of Angenieux Excel Lens in Cinematography ceremony. She will receive Angenieux Special Encourment, which is given to a young professional.

first winner of Special Encourment, introduced in 2018, was young Chinese DOP Cecile Zhang. recognition will entitle Palit to use on loan of best Angenieux lenses on her next project.  

Named after founder of 80-year-old French company that makes high-end zoom lenses, this year's Angenieux tribute will be received by five-time Oscar-minated French director of photography Bru Delbonnel. PTI