CANNES -- US director Quentin Tarantino was one of a select crowd invited to a Cannes film festival beachside dinner late Sunday by Hong Kong movie master Johnnie To.

The dinner for a hand-picked crowd of four dozen, including French Culture Minister Christine Albanel, was held following the red-carpet release at Cannes of To's gangster movie "Vengeance".

The French star of the flick, ageing French rock star Johnny Hallyday, was also there.

Tarantino, who is competing with To for the festival's prestigious Palme d'Or with a World War II film "Inglourious Basterds", flew in last week and is assiduously seeing as many movies as he can.