Here’s a look at the Cannes International Film Festival.
May 17-28, 2017 – The 70th Cannes International Film Festival is scheduled to be held.
May 11-22, 2016 – The 69th Cannes International Film Festival is held.
Other Facts:
Held in Cannes, France.
The correct pronunciation of the city is “can.”
Since 1995, the “number of feature films shown at Marché du Film has more than doubled.” The Marché du Film is a parallel portion of the film festival that is a meeting place for film professionals to view, buy and sell films from around the world.
The Festival lasts for approximately two weeks.
The top award at the festival is the Palme d’Or, the prize for best film. It was first presented in 1955, replacing another “Grand Prix” prize.
The top award for a first film is the Camera d’Or, presented by an independent jury. It was first presented in 1978.
The festival is divided into five sections:
1. In Competition – films up for the Palme d’Or.
2. Out of Competition – films not competing for the top prize, but there for the publicity.
3. Un Certain Regard – usually challenging art films that aren’t quite up to competing in the mainstream.
4. Cinéfondation – works done by film students.
5. The Market – started in the early 1960s, a place to buy and sell films.
There are two festivals which are not part of the official Cannes festival but run at the same time:
1. Cannes International Critics Week.
2. The Directors Fortnight.
Timeline:
September 1, 1939 – The first “Festival International du Film” opens in Cannes, but Germany’s invasion of Poland that day, beginning World War II, forces the festival to close on September 2.
September 20, 1946 – The first full length Cannes Film Festival opens.
1948 and 1950 – The festival is canceled due to lack of funds.
1951 – The festival moves from September to April. Later in the 1950s it moves to May.
1968 – Political turmoil shuts down the festival at its midpoint, when student demonstrations and striking workers throw France into turmoil.
March 10, 2017 – After two streaming-only films from Netflix are included in the competition, Cannes adopts a new rule that all selected films must be released in French theaters.