Destination Itinerary: Cannes Film Festival

Cannes plays host to the annual Cannes Film Festival. The festival will be held from May 17-28 2017. This world renowned film festival draws in spectators from all parts of the world looking to witness some of the hottest stars and films in the industry today.

Discover this destination

Cannes

Cannes, a resort town on the French Riviera, is famed for its international film festival which puts on a show. The Cannes Film Festival, hosted annually in May, is one of the town's most popular events and draws thousands of people, including many celebrities.

Its Boulevard de la Croisette, curving along the coast, is lined with sandy beaches, restaurants, upmarket boutiques and luxury hotels. It’s also home to the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès and Allée des Stars.

History

The Cannes Film Festival has its origins in 1932 when Jean Zay, the French Minister of National Education, on the proposal of Philippe Erlanger and with the support of the British and Americans, set up an international cinematographic festival. In 1947, the festival was held as the "Festival du film de Cannes", where films from sixteen countries were presented.

This annual film festival previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around the world.

Awards

A few of the awards given out are the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm), Grand Prix (Grand Prize of the Festival), Prix du Jury (Jury Prize), Palme d'Or du court métrage (Best Short Film), Prix d'interprétation féminine (Best Actress), Prix d'interprétation masculine (Best Actor), Prix de la mise en scène (Best Director).

Winners

Some of last years winners were It's Only the End of the World, American Honey, The Salesman, The Red Turtle, Ken Loach, and Cristian Mungiu.

Some popular American Movies that have been winners at the festival are Fahrenheit 9/11, Taxi Driver, Pulp Fiction, The Tree of Life, and Apocalypse.

Fun Facts

2km: The total length of red carpet unraveled over the duration of the festival; carpets are changed three times a day.

6: New languages were added to the Cannes website last year to stress the festival’s international character.

3,767: Number of journalists who attended the festival last year, making Cannes the 2nd largest media event after the Olympics.

1,188: The approximate number of short films in the 2011 Short Film Corner catalogue, which screens shorts from all over the world.

200,000: The total number of actors, directors, producers, agents and fans who flock to the French city for the event each year for the festival.

€20 million: The approximate budget of the whole festival, half of which comes from public funding, while the other half is from group contributions and the Official Partners.

Other Events

Cannes plays host to numerous other events throughout the course of the year. Hosting events such as the Cannes Shopping Festival, International Fireworks Festival, Cannes International Boat Show, International Dance Festival and much more.

Cannes is a buzzing seaside community that knows how to throw a part all year long. You do not want to miss out.