The
Cannes Film Festival - le Festival International du Film de Cannes
By Philip
Suter
The
Cannes Film Festival (le Festival international du film de
Cannes) is held in May every year and in 2007 it will be the
60th festival.
The
history of the Cannes Film Festival goes back to 1939 when Jean
Zay, the French minister for Public Instruction and the Arts (Ministère
de l'Instruction Publique et des Beaux-Arts), proposed a "creation
of an international film event in France".
Cannes
was chosen for its "sunshine and enchanting setting" according
to the minister. The reason to set up a Festival in France was
as a response for the effect of Mussolini's fascist take over
of the Venice Film Festival. Unfortunately because of the Second
World War the festival did not commence till the September 20,
1946 and was held at the former Casino de Cannes. As from 1951
the month was changed to May and it now runs for two weeks. It
has run every year since 1946 with the only exception being 1948
and 1950. Every year there are thousands of movie makers who go
to Cannes accompanied by nearly 4,000 journalists.
The
most prestigious award given out at Cannes is the Palme d'Or
(Golden Palm) for the best film. This non-public Festival
is attended by numerous film stars and is a popular venue for
movie producers to launch their new films and attempt to sell
their works to the distributors who come from all over the world.
It
is a fascinating experience to spend part of the day or evening
there soaking up the atmosphere and although restaurant, hotel
and bar prices are higher than normal, it is still possible to
eat and drink at "normal" prices in some of the establishments
away from the "main arena" that is the section along the beach
- La Croisette.
Naturally
hotel beds are at a premium. If you walk along the La Croisette
in the early evening you will find early evening television shows
being transmitted by channels like TF1 and Canal+ and as
dusk draws in the visitors to the evening film showing in the
Palais des Festivals et des Congres start arriving. They are dressed
in: - dinner jackets - smart dresses and the film stars and their
entourage arrive in a fleet of cars picking them up from their
hotels and delivering them to the red carpeted steps. The cars
are normally supplied by a major French car manufacturer. Men
have to look smart and wear a tie, otherwise they might not be
admitted.
When
it is dark there is usually a public screening on the beach with
a giant screen. It is a fabulous setting with the sea beyond and
lazar lights illuminating the entire bay and the yachts and boats
anchored in it. This can certainly be an interesting (and inexpensive)
way to pass a few hours and if you don't know who is in the chamfered
driven cars, there are still newsstands open where you can buy
one of the popular "people's lives - celebrity" magazines.
The
hundreds of film screenings that take place during the festival
are not only for the privileged. There are screenings across town
as well as the open air screenings. A visitor can get information
from the Tourist Office.
The
59th Festival de Cannes was held on the 17th to 28th May 2006
Ken
Loach the veteran director won the 2006 Palme D'Or at
Cannes for his film The Wind That Shakes The Barley.(Le Vent
se lève) It beat 19 other films. The film is about the early
days of the IRA and stars Cillian Murphy and Liam Cunningham as
two brothers in early 1920s Ireland, when volunteer guerrilla
fighters rose up against the British Black and Tans.
The
Grand Prix was won by Flandres by Bruno Dumont. Andrea
Arnold, a new director, won the Jury Prize( Prix du Jury)
for Red Road, starring Kate Dickie as a CCTV operator on a Glasgow,
Scotland council estate who spots a man from her past in video
footage
Some further information about Cannes: It is described by
some as one of the classiest resorts on the Cote d’Azur, although
very expensive and having one of the longest shopping streets
in Europe, you can still find a reasonably priced hotel and meals
locally.
It
is has a picturesque old town overlooking the town. It has wonderful
sandy beaches that are accessible from the main promenade “La
Croisette” and at either end these beaches are public beaches.
The area in between on La Croisette is full of beach restaurants
and although you can walk past them on the sand if you want to
sun bathe, you have to pay to use the facilities (loungers - chairs
- umbrellas).
There
is also a working fishing port contrasted by private moorings
from some the most expensive yachts in the world.
If
you are staying in the South of France in May a visit to the film
festival makes great entertainment and can be for FREE!
In
the same month you can also watch the Monaco Grand Prix
- Very expensive and the less expensive Historic Monaco Grand
Prix - Grand Prix de Monaco Historique that is held every other
year
Philip
Suter is a Director of jml Property Services; http://www.jmlproperty.co.uk
a UK based company offering Insurance products on line at http://www.jml-property-insurance.co.uk
and a holiday home advertising service http://www.jmlvillas.comand
management training within the uk. He a travel writer and is a
very experienced property consultant with over 30 years work in
the Residential letting business in the UK and served on the National
Council of ARLA. He is a Fellow of the National Association of
Estate Agents (NAEA) and a Member of The association of Residential
Letting Agents (ARLA)
Article
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_Suter
The
information supplied on this page is by a third party and jml
Property Services do not take any responsibility to its accuracy
©jmlpropertyservices
11/06
61st
Festival
de Cannes: from 14th to 25th May 2008
The
Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or was won by the French production
Entre les murs (The Class) on the 25th May 2008. The film, directed
by Laurent Cantet, used teachers and students to chronicle a year
in the life of an inner-city school. This is the first time a
French film has won the Palme d'Or since Sous le Soleil de Satan
by Maurice Pialat in 1987
Grand
Prix GOMORRA de / by Matteo Garrone
Prize
of the 61st Festival de Cannes ex-aequo Catherine Deneuve dans
/ for UN CONTE DE NOËL de / by Arnaud DESPLECHIN Clint Eastwood
pour / for L’ÉCHANGE (The Exchange)
Award
for the Best Director ÜÇ MAYMUN (Three Monkeys / Les Trois Singes)
de / by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Jury
Prize IL DIVO de / by Paolo Sorrentino Prix d'interprétation masculine
Benicio Del Toro dans / for CHE de / by Steven SODERBERGH
Best
Performance for an Actress Sandra Corveloni dans / for LINHA DE
PASSE de / by Walter SALLES, Daniela THOMAS
Award
for the Best Screenplay LE SILENCE DE LORNA de / by Jean-Pierre
et Luc DARDENNE
Benicio
del Toro won the prize for best actor for his lead role in Guerrilla,
Steven Soderbergh's biopic of Che Guevara
The
President of the 2008 jury was the American actor Sean Penn
______________________________________________
60th
Festival de Cannes: from 16th to 27th May 2007
Romania
wins major prizes at 2007 Cannes Film Festival
The
Palme d'Or, went to Cristian Mungiu for "4 Months, 3 Weeks
and 2 Days," described as an unsparing yet humane look at
life during the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu. It follows
the ordeal of two female university students as one tries to help
the other obtain an illegal abortion. Cristian Mungiu's film had
critical support from the start and the The audience in the Palais
des Festivals was audibly delighted by Mungiu's victory. The jury
for Un Certain Regard, gave its highest honour to "California
Dreamin,' " a first feature by Cristian Nemescu set in Romania
during the Kosovo war of 1999. Cristian Nemescu died in a car
accident in 2006 at the age of 27.
Diane
Kruger was the Master of Ceremonies for the 60th Festival de Cannes.
She welcomed the
President Stephen Frears and his Jury onto the stage of the Palais
des Festivals
on May 16th 2007. She also hosted the Closing Ceremony, on Sunday
May 27th, during which the Awards will be announced.
Meanwhile
early in 2007, the town of cannes and the Palais des Festivals
has launched an exciting programme to mark the 60th anniversary
of the creation of the Cannes film festival. In 2007 a series
of screenings of old films tracing the history of cinema on the
Croisette will be shown several times a month at various venues.
Entrance to these films will be free from 6pm and open to all,
subject to availability.
As
part of the 60th Celebrations the city of Cannes will be showing
some of the biggest festival winning films including - Death
in Venice, Easy Rider, MASH, Taxi Driver, Apocalyspe Now, La
Ville est Belle and Cinema Paradiso. There will be about 60
films played across the year at various cinemas throughout Cannes
including La Licorne, Studio 13, Miramar, Le Raimu and Alexandra
111. There
will also be seven "Red carpet" screenings in the
Grand Auditorium.
Bono
of U2 brought Cannes to standstill in the early hours of Sunday
20th May with a concert performed on top of the red carpeted
steps leading to the Palais
des Festivals. Bono yelled "Bonne anniversaire
Cannes", just before 1 am wishing the festival a 60th birtday
greeting. Bono and U2 was there for the screening of "U2
3D" their concert film that has been filmed in 3D. The
film was scheduled to be screened at 12.30 am, but was delayed
by the impromptu concert. The audience were handed a pair of
3D glassed to watch the film and guests included Prince Albert
of Monaco and German film maker Wim Wenders.
The
President of the jury was British Director Stephen Frears.
From
the archives:
59th
Festival de Cannes: from 17th to 28th May 2006
The
59th Festival de Cannes was held on the 17th to 28th May 2006
Ken Loach the veteran director won the 2006 Palme
D'Or at Cannes for his film The Wind That Shakes The
Barley.(Le Vent se lève) It beat 19 other films. The film
is about the early days of the IRA and stars Cillian Murphy
and Liam Cunningham as two brothers in early 1920s Ireland,
when volunteer guerrilla fighters rose up against the British
Black and Tans.
The Grand Prix was won by Flandres by Bruno Dumont. Andrea
Arnold, a new director, won the Jury Prize( Prix du Jury)
for Red Road, starring Kate Dickie as a CCTV operator on a Glasgow,
Scotland council estate who spots a man from her past in video
footage
Some
of the earlier years winning films and Directors:
2005:
L' Enfant - Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne
2004:
Fahrenheit 9/11 - Michael Moore
2003:
Elephant - Gus Van Sant
2002:
The Pianist - Roman Polanski
2001:
La Stanza del Figlio (The Son's Room) - Nanni Moretti
2000:
Dancer in the Dark - Lars von Trier
1999:
Rosetta - Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne
1998:
Mia Aioniotita Kai Mia Mera (Eternity and a Day) - Theo Angelopoulos
1997:
Ta'm e Guilass (A Taste of Cherry) Unagi (The Eel) - Abbas Kiarostami
& Shohei Imamura
1996:
Secrets & Lies - Mike Leigh
1995:
Underground - Emir Kusturica
1994:
Pulp Fiction - Quentin Tarantino
1993:
The Piano Ba Wang Bie Ji - Jane Campion & Kaige Chen
1992:
Den Goda Viljan (The Best Intentions) - Bille August
1991:
Barton Fink - Joel Coen
1990:
Wild at Heart - David Lynch
1989:
Sex, Lies, and Videotape - Steven Soderbergh
See
Historic
Monaco Grand Prix - Grand Prix de Monaco Historique
See
also Holiday Home Rental in Biot, near Antibes, Cannes Nice, South
of France
For
information about the South of France Visit our Fact file Page
Advertise
your holiday vacation home property
at - jmlvillas.com No
Commission or booking fees for owners or renters
Click
Here for details
