Sean Penn’s ‘The Last Face’ competing at Cannes festival

PARIS (AP) — A Sean Penn film about aid workers in Africa and movies about interracial marriage and cannibal fashion models are among the selections for this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The 20 films from 28 countries announced Thursday will compete for prestigious Palme d’Or at the May 11-22 festival on the French Riviera, which is being held with extra security after attacks on France and Belgium.

Among the high-profile entries is Penn’s “The Last Face” starring Charlize Theron and Javier Bardem. Others include “Loving” by American director Jeff Nichols about a black-white couple in the U.S. in the 1950s, and British director Ken Loach’s “I Daniel Blake,” about a man struggling with poverty and injury.

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar’s film “Julietta” and Denmark’s “The Neon Demon” are also competing.