A Canadian feature will kick off the Cannes film festival for the first time in nearly 30 years when Rhombus Media’s copro Blindness premieres at the French fete on May 14.

Word that the drama will open the 61st edition of the festival got out on Tuesday, though official word from organizers was not expected until the following morning.

Mark Slone, SVP at Alliance Films, which will be releasing the film in the fall in Canada, says the company is proud to be attached to Blindness.

‘The filmmakers took years to gather the rights, resources and amazing cast, and when the world gets to see it on the opening night of Cannes, I’m sure all will agree that it was worth the wait,’ he writes via e-mail.

The $25-million project is based on José Saramago’s 1995 Nobel Prize-winning novel and was adapted for the screen by Don McKellar, who also appears in the film. It is a copro among Canada, Japan and Brazil, produced here by Rhombus’ Niv Fichman. Post-production is currently wrapping up in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Oscar nominee Fernando Meirelles (City of God, The Constant Gardener) directs the story about a mysterious pandemic that leaves the majority of a community unable to see, except for a doctor’s wife. It stars Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover, Sandra Oh and Martha Burns. Miramax Films will distribute in the U.S., where it is due out this fall.

The last time a Canadian film opened Cannes was in 1980 with the Quebec musical drama Fantastica, written and directed by Gilles Carle.

The prestigious opening-night spot puts Blindness up against Atom Egoyan’s Adoration for the Palme d’Or, along with notable titles including Clint Eastwood’s Changeling and Steven Soderbergh’s biopic Che. Cannes runs May 14-25.