Cannes 2017: Will Smith, Jessica Chastain join jury panel

Actors Will Smith, Jessica Chastain and Fan Bingbing will join the nine-member jury at this year's Cannes Film Festival, organisers said on Tuesday.

The jury headed by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar will preside over the main competition at France's most famous cinema event in May.

Other panellists include Maren Ade, the Oscar-nominated German director of Toni Erdmann, South Korean Oldboy director Park Chan-wook, and Italy's Paolo Sorrentinto who directed The Great Beauty.

Rounding out the list are French writer, singer and director Agnes Jaoui and Oscar-winning composer Gabriel Yared.

The festival opens on May 17 with the winner of the prestigious Palme D'Or expected to be unveiled on May 28.