David Cronenberg deconstructs Hollywood, Tommy Lee Jones goes Western, and reclusive New Wave legend Jean-Luc Godard returns in 3-D in films competing for top honors at next month’s Cannes Film Festival.

Organizers of the ritzy Riviera festival famed for its red-carpet glamour announced the much-heralded lineup Thursday for the May 14-25 event, including 18 films vying for the top prize Š—_’ÛÎÜ’ÛÎÂ the Palme d’Or.

Cannes organizers insist the films are chosen based on the art. But some themes in this year’s crop are unmistakable: based-on-real-life stories of Olympic wrestlers, fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and British painter J.M.W. Turner; themes of solitude, or the Old West; daily life in northern Mali under jihadist control or in today’s Russia.

Aside from Godard and Cronenberg, several other Cannes veterans are back, including Britain’s Mike Leigh and Ken Loach of Britain, and Belgium’s Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne Š—_’ÛÎÜ’ÛÎÂ who will be angling for their third Palme d’Or. Michel Hazanavicius, the French director of the Oscar-winning silent film “The Artist,” also returns.

Films by two women, Naomi Kawase of Japan and Alice Rohrwacher of Italy Š—_’ÛÎÜ’ÛÎÂ are also in the running. Event organizers have faced recent criticism for not selecting more films by female directors.

But Cannes is about far more than just competition for the top award. Some 49 featurelength films from 28 countries, including 15 by female directors Š—_’ÛÎÜ’ÛÎÂ and many short films will be shown at the 11-day cinema extravaganza.

“It is important for us that the Cannes selection is a voyage through cinema and the world,” Director- General Thierry Fremaux said. “You can find in the official selection a lot of … big names, but also young, new directors.”

He noted that while some films have funny moments, no full-blown comedies are in the competition.

Director Jane Campion, the only woman to win the Palme d’Or, is leading this year’s festival jury, which opens with Nicole Kidman starring in director Olivier Dahan’s out-of-competition biopic “Grace of Monaco.”