Orlando Bloom thriller to close Cannes film festival

Bloom and Whitaker star in the adaptation of Fere's apartheid novel

Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker and Pirates of the Caribbean actor Orlando Bloom's thriller Zulu has been selected to close this year's Cannes Festival.

The film, set during South Africa's apartheid era, is adapted from a novel of the same name by Caryl Fere.

Directed by writer of The Tourist Jerome Salle, the conspiracy story was filmed entirely on location.

Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of The Great Gatsby, will open the festival on 15 May.

Whitaker, who won an Academy award for his performance in The Last King of Scotland, stars alongside Bloom as a policeman investigating the death of two women in Cape Town.

The French production was co-written by Julien Rappeneau and produced by Richard Grandpierre.

Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg has been announced as President of the Competition Jury which will award the coveted Palme d'Or prize.

New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion, who won the Palme d'Or for The Piano, is to be presented with the Carrosse d'Or from the Society of Film Directors.

The full list of films that will be shown at this year's festival will be announced on 18 April.