The official lineup in Short Films Competition and Cinefondation Selection categories at the 70th Festival de Cannes (May 17-28) has been announced and Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, student Payal Kapadia’s 13 minute film Afternoon Clouds has made it to the Cinefondation Selection. The announcement comes a day ahead of the festival’s much anticipated press conference tomorrow in which the selected feature films will be announced. Last year Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata, student Saurav Rai’s Gudh had been selected in the same category.

Kapadia’s film is among the 14 features and two animation films picked up from 2600 works submitted in the category that is open to student films from around the world. This year it sees representation from film schools of 14 countries, including NYU Tisch School of the Arts, USA and Iranian National School of Cinema. Four of the selected films come from schools taking part for the first time.

The awards for both the Short Films Competition and Cinefondation Selection will be decided by the jury presided by renowned Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, winner of the Palme d’Or in 2007 for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. The three prizes in the Cinefondation Selection category will be awarded on May 26 at the festival in the Bunuel theatre.

Created in 1998 and devoted to the search for new talent, the Cinéfondation Selection picks up 15 to 20 short and medium-length films each year from film schools all over the world. Since 1998 more than 320 films from more than a hundred schools in the world have been selected in the category.

The Short Films Competition this year comprises nine films (including eight features and one animation) that will be running for the Short Film Palme d’Or. 4843 films were received in this category.