The Cannes Film Fest (formally known now as festival de Cannes), the most prestigious and influential fest in the world, is celebrating this year its 70th anniversary.
Above: Poster of the 20th edition
Excellent, good, or bad (yes, there have been few weak years), it’s the only film fest that I have attended regularly, year after year, like an annual ritual, with both symbolic meanings and practical effects.
I will never forget my first edition, in 1984, if only for the two movies that won the top awards: Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas won the Palme d’Or, and the young and brilliant Jim Jarmusch received the Camera D’Or for his Stranger Than Paradise.
Over the next month–until the 2017 Cannes Fest opens, on May 17, we will be running articles about this event:
Year by Year Accounts, 1946-2017
Awards in the various series of the Official Selections
Posters of the festival from 1946 to the presence
American presence in Cannes
Changes in the structure and operation of the festival: Addition of new sidebars such as In Certain Regard, Directors Fortnight, International Critics Weeks, Cannes Classics
Which countries and national cinemas have had the strong representation?
US films that have won the top award, not always called Palme d’Or
Directors winning the mise-en-scene kudo
Actors (male and female) earning the performance awards
Scandals in the jury’s choices of top winners and other snubs
Presidents of the main jury (for competition films), which has changed considerably in terms of structure
Representation of women in the various sidebars
Impact of Cannes Fest on the Oscars
Best parties
Please stay tune!
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