Cannes 2015: Gaspar Noe, Palme d’Or director added to lineup

The Cannes Film Festival rounded out its programming Thursday, naming Gaspar Noe’s anticipated “Love” as an out-of-competition selection and adding two titles to the main competition.

Noe’s fourth feature -- and his first since “Enter The Void” six years ago -- will play in a midnight slot, organizers said. The new movie from the hard-hitting Argentine filmmaker had been thought a potential competition title, and its absence from the list last week had raised some eyebrows.

Not much is known about “Love,” though it is the rare auteur piece presented in 3-D; Noe has described it as an explicit sexual drama.

Meanwhile, “Cronic,” a drama by Mexican director Michel Franco, has been added to the main competition slate -- addressing concerns that the competition lacked a Spanish-language title -- as has “Valley of Love” by Guillaume Nicloux.

Both represent promotions of sorts. Franco’s “After Lucia” was a prize-winner in Un Certain Regard three years ago, while Nicloux, a novelist and theater director, arrives on the Croisette’s biggest stage after his postmodern film comedy “The Kidnapping of Michel Houellebecq” was a breakout at the Tribeca Film Festival just last year.

Apichatpong Weerasethakul, the Thai filmmaker known as Joe, has also accepted a slot in Un Certain Regard for his latest work, “Cemetery of Splendour,” organizers said Thursday. Joe won the Palme d’Or in 2010 for his magical-realist exercise “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall Past Lives.”

“Splendour” was one of five movies added to Un Certain Regard, including “Lamb,” the first-ever Ethiopian selection, and a new movie by Colombian director José Luis Rugeles Gracia. The news follows a decision by French auteur Arnaud Desplechin to turn down Un Certain Regard in favor of playing the Croisette’s parallel Director’s Fortnight for his latest film, “My Golden Years.”

Cannes is set to open May 13 and showcase new movies from the likes of Todd Haynes, Woody Allen and Denis Villeneuve.

Twitter: @ZeitchikLAT