Cannes is a beautiful city in the South of France just 60 Km from Italy and 36 Km from Nice, in what is known as the French Riviera. This quiet seaside town is regularly transformed into the focus of international film making for 12 days in May every year.

The International Film Festival first arrived in 1946 and today some 200 000 people descend upon the town to take part in and enjoy the festival. The city has a reputation for being chic and fashionable, which means that it can also be quite expensive so choosing the right hotel could save your budget.

The weather in Cannes is generally very good, but it does get cold from December to February. The area has miles of sandy beaches and this is the main focus of visits to the city but it also has some great parks, a safari park, a perfumery, museums, art galleries, casinos, nightclubs, bars, restaurants and plenty of shopping opportunities.

Cannes hosts a number of festivals throughout the year but by far the largest and most well known is the International Film Festival. If you are coming to Cannes for the festival then it will be held from the 14th to the 25th May in 2008. The core events can be a little confusing, especially as there are so many sidebar events as well, but essentially they are:

The Competition – 20 films compete for the Palme d’Or this is an extremely prestigious reward, generally the films have a narrative but occasionally there are documentaries put in as well. These films are shown at the Theatre Lumiere.

Out of Competition – These are films that are not entering the main competition but are still being screened, initially these were films that did not comply with the criteria for the competition but nowadays they tend to be large Hollywood films that bring in the big names without compromising the quality of the films in the competition. These films are shown at the Theatre Lumiere.

Un Certain Regard – These are 20 films from around the world and are displays of works from different cultures, generally original and lower budget that others they now compete for the Prix Un Certain Regard. These films are shown at the Salle Debussy.

Cinefondation – This competition screen short and long films produced by film schools from around the world. There are three awards which include a cash prize for the best films. These films are shown at the Salle Brunel.

Coming to Cannes for the International Film Festival is a great experience, and there is plenty to distract you away from the films and film stars on show should you want to do something else, but for anyone who considers themselves a fan or a film buff this is the essential trip of the year.