When: 14 - 25 May 2008
Where: Palais des Festivals
Cannes is the biggest and most famous film festival in the world.
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Best known for starlets on the beach, stars on yachts and fractious bunfights at controversial screenings, the festival also has a proud history of upholding artistic standards within an industry increasingly dominated by the bottom line.
Everyone has their own favourite Cannes moment - Jean-Paul Sartre strolling the Croisette in a bathing suit in 1947; Brigitte Bardot doing the same, to rather different effect, in 1953; the 1975 bombing attempt by an appropriately Buñuel-esque terrorist group called "People's Struggle Against The Perversion of Humanity" - the list goes on.
In 1939, the world's leading film festival - Venice - was apparently being run by Fascist stooges. In response, the enterprising French drew up plans for the first Cannes Film Festival. Unfortunately, the war intervened and only one movie - The Hunchback of Notre Dame - was actually screened. In 1946, the first complete festival went ahead. Over the next few years the festival consolidated its post-war head start and, despite some changes to its structure over the years, has been the world's leading festival for as long as anyone can remember.
Most of the action takes place at the famous Palais des Festivals, although screenings do take place all over the town. The beach is the place to see the starlets doing their thing, and although most Cannes Film Festival Events are strictly by invitation only, there are film screenings open to the public.
In addition to the main competition, the festival has a fiercely competitive short film competition and the Un Certain Regard competition which includes high-quality features deemed not suitable for the main competition, yet certainly worthy of recognition.
more info
Everyone has their own favourite Cannes moment - Jean-Paul Sartre strolling the Croisette in a bathing suit in 1947; Brigitte Bardot doing the same, to rather different effect, in 1953; the 1975 bombing attempt by an appropriately Buñuel-esque terrorist group called "People's Struggle Against The Perversion of Humanity" - the list goes on.
In 1939, the world's leading film festival - Venice - was apparently being run by Fascist stooges. In response, the enterprising French drew up plans for the first Cannes Film Festival. Unfortunately, the war intervened and only one movie - The Hunchback of Notre Dame - was actually screened. In 1946, the first complete festival went ahead. Over the next few years the festival consolidated its post-war head start and, despite some changes to its structure over the years, has been the world's leading festival for as long as anyone can remember.
Most of the action takes place at the famous Palais des Festivals, although screenings do take place all over the town. The beach is the place to see the starlets doing their thing, and although most Cannes Film Festival Events are strictly by invitation only, there are film screenings open to the public.
In addition to the main competition, the festival has a fiercely competitive short film competition and the Un Certain Regard competition which includes high-quality features deemed not suitable for the main competition, yet certainly worthy of recognition.
more info
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