The ripples of the Arab Spring are being felt in summery Cannes, where films from Egypt and Syria, as well as a documentary about the overthrow of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, are being screened alongside the latest features from the world's heavyweight directors.

On Friday, the festival lineup includes "The Oath of Tobruk" a personal account of the Libyan uprising by French writer and philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy.

The Cannes Film Festival competition includes the short "Waiting for P.O. Box" by Syrian director Bassam Chekhes.

And among the 22 full-length features competing for the Palme d'Or is "After the Battle" by Egypt's Yousry Nasrallah.

Nasrallah said that "Arab cinema is trying to liberate itself" amid the wave of change shaking the region.

The film festival runs until Sunday.