Bardem and Cruz walk the red carpet to open Cannes Film Festival

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018. Cate Blanchett, Jury President of the 71th Cannes Film Festival, on stage. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

CANNES, France (Reuters) - Spanish film royalty, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, walked the red carpet to open the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday with their film "Everybody Knows", written and directed by Iranian double-Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi.

Farhadi strode up the red carpet arm in arm with Bardem and Cruz, who wore a black ball gown and long ruby earrings, and Bardem, along with Argentine co-star Ricardo Darin, who is also a screenwriter and director in his own right.

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018 - cast members Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem arrive. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

The film is one of 21 vying for the Palme d'Or at the first Cannes festival since sexual abuse and harassment allegations rocked the global movie industry and gave birth to the MeToo campaign to get greater female participation in films.

Cannes has set up a hotline for victims to report any abuse during the festival and will host a series of discussions on the issue. And the jury that will award the Palme d'Or is this year headed by a woman, Australian actress Cate Blanchett, and is majority-female.

But Blanchett said the increased awareness of women's issues would have "no direct impact" on who wins.

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018. The jury of the 71th Cannes Film Festival, Kristen Stewart, Robert Guediguian, Jury President Cate Blanchett, Ava DuVernay, Lea Seydoux, Chang Chen, Khadja Nin, Denis Villeneuve and Andrey Zvyagintsev, is seen on stage. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

When asked whether she was concerned that of the 21 films in the main competition, there were only three directed by women, Blanchett told a news conference:

"A few years ago there were only two!"

"Is (MeToo) going to have a direct impact upon the films in competition this year, six, nine months on? Not specifically. There are several women in competition but they are not there because of their gender, they are there for the quality of their work."

REFILE - QUALITY REPEAT 71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018. Director and screenwriter Martin Scorsese talks on stage. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

She added: "Would I like to see more women in competition? Absolutely. Do I expect and hope that’s going to happen in the future? I hope so."

But, as if to show how women must not be overlooked in cinema, she had a barbed response to a reporter who asked the "filmmakers" - meaning the directors, rather than actors - on the jury to answer "why are movies still important?"

"Actresses: don’t answer that because you have no idea how to answer that question!" Blanchett said with a raised eyebrow to fellow jury members Lea Seydoux and Kristen Stewart (an actress who has recently moved into directing).

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018. Ava DuVernay, member of the 71th Cannes Film Festival jury, on stage. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

The news conference was the last time the five-women, four-men jury will speak to the media until the end of the fortnight.

After Farhadi, another Iranian director, Jafar Panahi, will screen a movie in competition, but will be unable to attend the festival as he is officially banned from film-making by his government. Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov will also be absent as he is under house arrest in Russia on charges that his supporters say are politically motivated.

Blanchett, who called their plight "a terrible situation" was asked it that would alter the way their films are judged.

Cate Blanchett, Jury President of the 71st Cannes Film Festival and jury member Kristen Stewart pose. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

"It's not a political film festival," she replied, insisting that all films will be judged solely on their artistic merits.

"This is not the Nobel Peace Prize, it's the Palme d'Or."

The festival runs from May 8 to May 19.

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018. Anna Karina arrives on the red carpet. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier

(Reporting by Robin Pomeroy; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Singer Shy'm poses on the red carpet during the opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows". REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018. Jury member Kristen Stewart and Jury President Cate Blanchett are seen on stage. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018 - Master of a Ceremony actor Edouard Baer and Cannes Film festival President Pierre Lescure during the ceremony. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018. Master of a Ceremony actor Edouard Baer on stage. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018 - director Asghar Farhadi and cast members Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Ricardo Darin pose as they arrive. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018 - cast members Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem arrive. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018 - Artistic Director and Co-President of Chopard Caroline Scheufele arrives with Jose Carreras and her father Karl Scheufele. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018 - Cate Blanchett, Jury President of the 71th Cannes Film Festival and director Martin Scorsese with jury members Lea Seydoux, Robert Guediguian, Kristen Stewart on stage. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

71st Cannes Film Festival - Photocall of the jury - Cannes, France. May 8, 2018 - Cate Blanchett, Jury President of the 71st Cannes Film Festival poses. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018 - Julianne Moore arrives. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018. Georgia May Jagger poses on the red carpet. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018 - Isabelle Adjani arrives. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

71st Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Everybody Knows" (Todos lo saben) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 8, 2018. Actors Zhao Tao and Liao Fan arrive on the red carpet. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

71st Cannes Film Festival - Photocall of the jury - Cannes, France. May 8, 2018 - Cate Blanchett, Jury President of the 71st Cannes Film Festival and Jury member Lea Seydoux pose. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier