Cannes Film Festival
“Soon to be 60? That’s so young for a Festival! It’s barely the time it took Alfred Hitchcock to release doves on the steps of the Palais, the time of one twirl of Charlie Chaplin’s walking stick, of one endless ovation to Ingmar Bergman when crowned Palme of Palmes, or the time to softly sing Tourbillon de la vie to Jeanne Moreau…. It’s not surprising then, that, emboldened by such childhood memories, the Festival is still as demanding, as ambitious and as enthusiastic as ever! The festival re-emerged on the 20th September 1946 under the joint sponsorship of the French ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education and took place in the old winter casino. In 1947 it was moved under the wing of the newly-formed Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC), a government body charged with supporting and promoting the cinematic arts and preserving France’s screen history. For 10 days every May, Cannes becomes the hottest film industry location in the world - its streets, beaches, bars, hotels and cinemas transformed by an invasion of the rich, the beautiful, the cultured, the creative and the desperate-to-make-it. Luxury yachts fill the harbour, the hotels and bars are packed with millionaire stars and the beaches are awash with fresh flesh - particularly during the Porn Festival. This being France, it’s not short of European pretension either: films are frequently booed, jurors are famed for snubbing American fare in favour of obscure European art house, and police are frequently called in to control crowds queuing for screenings, parties and award ceremonies.
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