Twilight star's mother unveils film

It is a family affair for Twilight actress Kristen Stewart in Cannes this year as her mother is in town supporting her own film which also stars the young star's brother.

Jules Stewart flew to the French Riviera resort to support the market debut of her first directorial piece K-11.

She has spent more than 30 years working in Hollywood as a script supervisor and editor and her first role as director introduces her son Cameron as an actor.

Kristen Stewart is due in town later this week to support Walter Salles' On The Road, which is in competition for the coveted Palme d'Or.

Her mother told The Hollywood Reporter that after years of working on the movie and being immersed in the craft she is ready to build a directing career.

"Doing that at 50 is not the easiest thing to do," she told the magazine.

Along with partner Tom Wright, Stewart and casting director Pam Dixon put together a cast including Goran Visnjic, who starred in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, to star in K-11.

It tells the story of a secure unit of the Los Angeles jail where transgender, homosexual and transsexual inmates are placed to isolate them from the danger they would face in the normal prison population.

The film made its world debut during the Marche du Film in Cannes via London-based Intandem which is selling the project worldwide.

The film took 25 days to shoot in LA. Stewart added: "The whole point for me is to tell stories that are different and unique, hence K-11."