Cannes << kan >> Festival is an annual motion-picture exhibition and competition. It is held each May in the resort city of Cannes, on the French Riviera in southeastern France. The Cannes Festival is one of the oldest and most prestigious film festivals in the world. In French, it is called the Festival de Cannes.
Hundreds of films are screened during the festival, in both official and unofficial settings. The board of directors of the festival chooses the official selections for the competition. To be eligible, a film must have been released within the previous 12 months, must not have been released outside the country in which it was made, and must not have been screened at any other festivals or competitions. In addition to these selections, many filmmakers screen their films at a variety of unofficial settings.
The Cannes Festival presents a series of awards for the films it shows. The highest prize is the Palme d’Or (Golden Palm). This award is made by a film jury, which selects the best film from a group of feature films privately screened for its consideration. The awarding of the Palme d’Or takes place at the Palais des Festivals and is a glittering occasion. Four films are chosen to compete for the Camera d’Or (Golden Camera) award, a prize for the best first feature film in any category. There are also awards for best director, best actor, best actress, and best screenplay. Other prizes include the Grand Prix and the Jury Award, as well as the Palme d’Or for best short film.
The Cannes Festival is important for its commercial impact on the film industry. Filmmakers at the festival scramble to have studio executives and distributors review their films. A successful screening at Cannes often brings favorable publicity, enhancing a film’s chances on the world market. New or unknown filmmakers, many from countries outside Europe and the United States, can get the exposure they need to gain wider distribution to audiences throughout the world.
The French government decided to establish an international film festival in 1939 and chose Cannes as the location. The festival was postponed, however, because of World War II (1939-1945). The first festival finally took place in September 1946. It has been held every year since 1946, except for 1948 and 1950. The early festivals were more film screenings than competitions, as most of the films received a prize.
