Festivals

History illustrates for us, over and over, that the most imaginative innovations rarely emerge from comfortable centers of old, incumbent power. And if humankind is to survive and thrive deep into this millennium, a massive rethink of what constitutes sustainable action — particularly as it relates to our marine environment — is necessary.

“This is the highest number of female directors we have,” said Thierry Fremaux, director of the Cannes Film Festival, touting the record number of women-directed films in the main competition of the 76th edition of the world’s most prestigious film festival. Six out of 19 entries reflect a full 31.

The political and personal intermingled at a special Variety Golden Globes awards party on Friday, May 19, during the first weekend of the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival. Actors Zahra Amir Ebrahimi, Tye Sheridan, Charles Melton and Shaunette Renée Wilson were all honored as breakthrough performers for their work in telling touching stories of individual reflection and triumph, alongside calls for greater solidarity in the artistic community.

What better place to publicize your film than the Cannes Film Festival where the world’s media gathers every May? More than 4,000 journalists and over 2,000 media outlets from 90 countries attend, according to the festival’s website. So making a splash in a creative, silly or tacky way is de rigueur on the Croisette, from the topless starlets of yesteryear like Simone Silva posing without her top in Robert Mitchum’s arms in 1954 (three paps fell over themselves into the ocean to take her picture; one broke his ankle, another his elbow) to Sacha Baron Cohen sporting a lime green mankini at the photocall for Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan in 2006, splashing in the waves flanked by a bevy of bikini-clad beauties.

It was a very emotional Harrison Ford, who received a special tribute at the premiere of the newest sequel of the Indiana Jones films. Ford plays the legendary hero in the James Mangold directed film and climbed the steps of the red carpet at the Palais des Festival alongside co-stars Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Ethann Isidore and Boyd Holbrook.

Pedro Almodóvar’s films are always highly anticipated at the Cannes Film Festival – even when the film is, in fact, a short film being screened out of competition.   The premiere of Pedro Almodóvar latest film, Strange Way of Life, was a highly sought-after ticket.

This year, French actress Anaïs Demoustier, 35, is President of the Caméra d’Or Jury which attributes the coveted award to the best first feature film presented in one of the Festival’s selections. Born in Lille, France, Demoustier began her career when she was a teenager.

Hosted by Chiara Mastroianni, actress and daughter of Catherine Deneuve, the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival 2023 took place this Tuesday, May 16, and featured both the much-anticipated arrival of Johnny Depp on the red carpet to promote Maïwenn’s new film, Jeanne du Barry, and the presentation of the honorary Palme d’Or to actor Michael Douglas in celebration of his extraordinary career. For the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, the opening ceremony had been eagerly awaited, and for good reason – this year, the ceremony was marked by a distinct whiff of scandal attending it.