British interest at the Cannes film festival is the lowest for more than a decade.

For the first time since 1991 there are no British films showing in competition at the prestigious festival.

Vanessa Redgrave appears in the Sean Penn film The Pledge

Over the last 10 years respected British directors such as Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, John Boorman and Michael Winterbottom have all had films competing for the Palme d'Or at the festival.

In Cannes, Patrick Frater, international editor of Screen International, told the BBC that the lack of British films in competition did not mean the industry was in crisis.

"You can read too much into one festival selection for one year," he said.

He added: "The industry has been steered into making more commercial films.

"There are hundreds of British producers and film-makers out here in Cannes."

In 1996 Mike Leigh's film Secrets and Lies took the top honour and the movie's star Brenda Blethyn won the best actress award.

This year British input is relegated to a handful of British actors in American films.

Show ground

Welsh actor Rhys Ifans, who found fame playing Hugh Grant's housemate in the blockbuster Notting Hill, stars alongside Tim Robbins and Patricia Arquette in Human Nature.

Cannes 2001

France: 9 USA: 4 Japan: 3 Italy: 2 Taiwan: 1 Australia: 1 Iran: 1 Russia: 1 Portugal: 1 *Numbers of films in competition

Ewan McGregor stars in the festival's opening film, Moulin Rouge.

And Vanessa Redgrave appears with Jack Nicholson and Benicio Del Torro in The Pledge, the latest movie from Sean Penn.

Cannes has long been a show ground for some of the biggest names in independent British film making.

In 1998 three British films - My Name is Joe, The General and Velvet Goldmine - were shown in competition.

This year there are 23 films in competition, nine of them French and four American films.

There are also three Japanese films and one from Taiwan, reflecting the growth of interest in Eastern film making.

The world premi�re of Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge, starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, opens the festival on Wednesday.