Director Francis Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Jennifer Lawrence, Sam Claflin and Josh Hutcherson appear at Lionsgate's "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay photocall at the Majestic Barriere on May 17, 2014 in Cannes, France.

Cannes is not only a screening marathon, it is above all party central. And this weekend was no exception. It all started with a reception before the premiere of The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, where the cast including James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain and their guests mingled atop the JW Marriott with a great view of the ocean. The stars then headed over to the red carpet. Since there wasn’t really time to eat many people boarded the shuttle to a private villa on Cap d’Antibes hungry, to attend – fittingly the mega party for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. The mansion, surrounded by acres of gardens and terraces that lead all the way down to the ocean, is owned by a Russian oligarch who has just put it on the market for the bargain price of 150 million. Euros, not dollars. This, too, is Cannes. Under a huge tent Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and Donald Sutherland along with their director Francis Lawrence enjoyed Penne Foie Gras, Asparagus Risotto and a french version of Chili con carne that tasted a bit like Goulash. The DJ seemed unsure of the guests’ taste and strangely mixed Whitney Houston with Bonnie M and House music. Julianne Moore, in town for David Cronenberg’s Maps To The Stars, stunned in emerald green Lanvin and patiently posed for smartphone pictures with Japanese businessmen. Extras dressed as Hunger Games characters roamed the place to give it even more color. And the weirdest sighting of the evening was without a doubt Wesley Snipes, clad from head to toe in white linen. He was the most stared at, prompting one guest to ask : “When did he get out?“ Presumably he meant out of jail which the actor called home for a while for tax evasion. He must have finished his term in time to shoot Expendables 3, the film that he is promoting today. The Hunger Games party’s biggest competition was the Vanity Fair bash a few minutes away at the Eden Roc. Anyone and everyone with a name or reputation crowded the place. Or – as one actor who prefers to stay anonymous put it: “The usual total clusterfuck.“ Many fled to the bar at the Hotel Du Cap, just a short walk up the hill, around three a.m. When in Cannes this is where all of the same Hollywood people who see each other in L.A. all the time, congregate to see each other again and talk about the same topics. It is also the best place to relax after a long day or a long party night like this one. With incredible service (and incredible prices) The Hotel du cap is just close enough to Cannes to still be part of the festival and just far enough away provide an atmosphere of calm. It is the place where stars can kick off their shoes, have a smoke and enjoy their drinks while possibly even making deals and connections with the scores of industry people who can afford to stay there, too.

Elisabeth Sereda