The Main Event
The glitz, the glamour, the movies, and the money. Welcome to the Cannes Film Festival. This year, the festival is showcasing 57 full-length films from 31 countries. But it's not really about what happens on-screen. Some 5,500 films in various stages of development are seeking funds or distributors among the industry executives who gather at Cannes.
Drink, Smile, Gossip, Do Deals
Some 10,000 film-industry professionals from 93 countries are in Cannes this year to do what some analysts estimate is $1 billion worth of business. Cannes is actually two events: a festival showcasing films, many of which are in competition; and a business center allowing executives to negotiate production and distribution deals for future movies. Here, Miramax's Lucas Webb talks with Nic Martin of Ealing Studios.
When Harvey Came Calling
Harvey Weinstein came to promote Vicky Cristina Barcelona, the new Woody Allen comedy. But during the festival, news broke that he would produce the $60 million screen adaptation of Paulo Coelho's bestselling novel, The Alchemist. Weinstein attended the Relativity Media Cocktail Party at Nikki Club, where he chatted with Laurie Feltheimer, wife of Lionsgate C.E.O. Jon Feltheimer, and Relativity’s Ryan Kavanaugh.
High Art
The overarching theme of this year’s festival is reality—stories about ordinary people, true-crime films, and documentary-style movies. Angelina Jolie stars in Changeling, a Clint Eastwood-directed drama based on the true story of a 1902s single mother whose son disappears. The movie is up for the coveted Palme d'Or award. Jolie and producer Brian Grazer stood for photographs at the Palais des Festivals.
The Big (Budget) Premier
While Cannes is mostly for the smaller, prestige film, it’s also where big blockbusters claim some bravado. This year, the spectacle went to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which had its world premier at the Palais des Festivals. Some analysts predict the movie could take in $150 million over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Plus, it opens in 61 foreign markets around the same time.
Seal of Approval
DreamWorks Animation previously brought the first two Shrek films, as well as Over the Hedge, to Cannes. This year, the studio presented Kung Fu Panda. DreamWorks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg, here with Brad Pitt at a party for the film at Carlton Beach, said that being an official selection at Cannes is like getting the Good Housekeeping seal of approval. "There's tremendous, tremendous value to that,” he said.
Party All the Time
Beyond the movies, there are the parties of Cannes. The studios throw them for their movies. Dolce & Gabbana hosted one for Naomi Campbell's 38th birthday. Belvedere Vodka had one to promote the Jagger Dagger, a $10,000 silver ice pick studded with topaz and aquamarine. At the latter, held at the V.I.P. Club, music producer and D.J. Mark Ronson spoke with actor and producer Sean "Diddy" Combs.
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