Not only are all of the Parisians here (those low budget flights with Easyjet and AirLib make it easier), stars from all over the world come to get a piece of the action as well. And before you start thinking that it's too expensive or too hard to get in, I'm here to tell you how I attended both for practically nothing, and how you can do it too!
Cannes: A Paradise for Film Buffs and People Watchers
The Cannes myth is one of glamorous starlets prancing around topless on the beach and handsome actors hanging out in hotel bars. The reality is a bit less enticing. The Film Fest is really a business convention, but the business happens to be a bit more illustrious than most, since what are being bought and sold are films from around the world. The lesser-known directors, filmmakers and producers have to scramble a bit more to get the attention of the press and distributors, while the big budget films are mostly hyped up and promoted with huge billboards covering the elegant facades of the hotel palaces along the Croisette. The competition for the Palme d'Or is what most lay people hear about, but there are many films that do very well at Cannes that never make it to US cinemas. So the three main activities that take place over the two weeks are: publicity, the screenings of films in and outside competition, and the awards show. The majority of the people you'll actually see running around are journalists, PR people, and other tourists. The stars that show up at all tend to stay closely guarded and only travel by chauffeured car to and from the Red Carpet or the yacht parties. So what does that leave for the average Joe to look forward to?
Don't believe the Lies
Everyone will tell you that it's impossible to get into the screenings if you don't have a badge (and badges are only for the press and the film industry people who had to register in advance for them). You can try and get a badge, or try and get the extra tickets that are floating around. If you plan in advance, the badge method may work. If you're a writer and have a big name publication to write a letter of assignment for you, go for the Press Pass. If you want to fork over the extra dough (last check a few hundred bucks) you can buy a Market badge (you have to say you're there to buy films) which gives you all access. It's best to do this around the winter holidays beforehand, since the deadline is pretty early for documentation. Get the official accreditation guidelines here. Film industry newbies who want to get their film into the festival should find lots of handy advice in the Festival Virgin's Guide.
