Cannes Film Festival
The History
When it comes to international film festivals, the Cannes Film Festival holds the candle as the most prestigious as well as the most famous of them all. It is an event that is held in May every year. Its initiative was first started in 1939 when Jean Zay, the French Minister for Public Instruction and Arts, put forward the idea of establishing an international film event in France. The city of Cannes was chosen because it was known as an enchanting place with lots of sunshine.
The first International Film Festival in Cannes did not push through at the time of its foundation because of World War II. It was in the year 1945 that the French Association for Artistic Action once again endeavored to hold a festival that was to be staged under the auspices of the Ministry of National Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, at the beginning of 1946, the festival was already under the National Cinema, an organization which was newly founded at that time.
It was on September 20, 1946 that the first International Film Festival was eventually staged, and this was held in the Casino de Cannes. Touted as the foremost important international cultural event after the war, the Cannes Film Festival was well on its way to becoming the prestigious event that it is today. Although it was held in September every year back then, the date of the festival was moved to May in the year 1951. In 1983, the event was held in the Palais de Festivals, which is located at the seafront of Cannes. This bigger venue was purposely built to host the film festival.
The Festival
In the beginning, the Cannes Film Festival, which is known as the Festival de Cannes in France, was primarily a social and tourism event. Instead of being a purely competitive event, it was then seen more as a film forum because almost every film that was screened at that time garnered a prize. However, the orientation of the festival shifted over the years when more and more participants joined the event and new stakes in the economy started to get involved. With this, the festival also evolved into one of the annual events in the film industry that draw the most media attention. At present, there are more than 4,000 journalists covering the annual event, and they correspond to 1,600 media outfits. More than 35,000 people from all over the world attend the event every year.
The Selection of the Films in the Festival
There are two main sections in the Cannes Film Festival, and these are the Competition proper and the “Un Certain Regard”. These sections are also complemented by the “Out of Competition” feature films that are usually shown during special screenings. There are also the selections from the Cinefondation’s film and the shorts competition.
The Competition
The Competition section of the Festival de Cannes is known to be the most interesting part of the festival, and it features some of the famous artists of the cinematic world. It is also known as the platform where new talents are discovered. The films that are screened during the Competition are intended for international audiences. It is at the Closing Ceremony of the film festival that the prizes for the Competition will be given out by the Jury. The Grand Prix, the Palme d’Or, the Best Director Award, the Best Script Award, the Best Actor and Best Actress Awards, and the Jury Prize are handed out during the ceremony.
Un Certain Regard
The “Un Certain Regard” section of the Cannes Film Festival features singular works that are original in terms of aesthetics and morals. These films will show the rebirth of cinematic expression. The prize for this section is presented on the evening before the Official Award Ceremony at the Debussy Theatre. The sponsor for this award is the Groupama-Gan Cinema Foundation.
Aside from these two main sections and the other selections, the Cannes Film Festival also has movie screenings that are open to the public. However, the major events are not meant to be public events. The Cinema de Plage, which is an outdoor theatre, will present films that highlight the theme of the festival. These films are screened every evening during nightfall.
The Cannes Film festival is without doubt the world’s premier movie festival, and people flock from all over the world to attend it: film fans and professionals alike, and it looks like remaining that way for a long time to come.
