Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan on Friday offered his latest movie "Captives" at the 67th Cannes Film Festival to compete for the Palme d'Or for the best film.

In the movie which tells a story of a young girl who went missing, Egoyan examines the breakdown of relations between the relatives of the kidnapped.

"The approach is reminiscent of the angle he adopted in 'The Sweet Hereafter' (1997), the turning point in his filmmaking career," commented the official daily of the festival.

During the press conference after the screening of the movie on Friday, Egoyan recalled the work of the team and the origins of making this feature film.

"The idea for this film came to me when I was on the west coast of Canada. A boy had just tragically disappeared in a park near my home," said the director.

"There are still posters with his picture in the park, even though he has been missing for several years. This story got into my head. And the film's story took shape," he continued.

This edition of the Festival, which opened Wednesday evening, will last till May 25.

A total of 18 films have been selected to compete for the Palme d'Or, the top prize of the annual international film festival, as well as other prizes. The winners will be announced on May 24.

Besides the main Competition of feature films, the festival also includes selections of Un Certain Regard, Out of Competition, Special Screenings, Cinefondation for international selection of student films, and Short Films.