Cannes Film Festival (17/05)

International Cannes Film Festival (French. The Festival international du film de Cannes is the most prestigious, one of the oldest and widely covered spring events in the world of film art. It takes place annually in May and lasts almost two weeks.

The opening of the first international film festival in Cannes was planned for the fall of 1939. According to the organizers of the festival, it was supposed to present an alternative to the Venice Film Festival, which came under the influence of official Nazi authorities. The program was ready, Louis Lumiere, the inventor of cinema, was appointed honorary Chairman of the jury.

The program included the American film «The Wizard of Oz» and the Soviet film «Lenin in 1918». The opening was supposed to take place on September 1, however, it was on this day that World War II began. The opening was postponed, and the first Cannes Film Festival took place only in September 1946.

According to the tradition established by the first festival, the main prize — is first the Grand Prix, then the « Palme d'Or » is awarded to the best full-length and best short films.

Full-length films at the festival are also awarded other prizes: the Grand Special Jury Prize, the Prize for Best Performance by a Male and Female Role, the Prize for Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. The jury may also award another feature film award and two short films.

In 1951, organizers changed the season of the festival — The Cannes Film Festival began to be held in the spring — in April or May.

In 1955, the main award — Grand Prize of the Cannes Film Festival — was renamed « Palme d'Or». The first « Palme d'Or», truly made of gold, was awarded to Dalbert Mann's American film «Marty».

Since 1959, journalists began showing films at festivals during the day, before the official screening began. This was done so that media representatives could form an opinion about the films in advance.

The success of the festival and its rapid development made the festival a real «city» in which you can get lost: more than 12 thousand accredited professionals, about 4 thousand journalists. Stars, film professionals and big screen lovers from all over the world gather in Cannes for a few days.

But in the history of the festival, everything was not always smooth: in 1948 and 1950, the Cannes Film Festival did not take place due to a lack of money to hold it. In 1968, due to student unrest, which by the time of the 21st Cannes Film Festival had spread throughout France, the Festival was closed by a special jury declaration dated May 19. There were 5 days left before its official completion. No awards were given.

By the end of the sixties of the 20th century, the Cannes Film Festival acquired the status of a respectable — festival with developed infrastructure, proven mechanisms and skillfully directed intrigue.

The 1969 Film Festival brought innovation to the structure of the — festival program was complemented by the «Directors' Fortnight» — parallel screening of films, organized by the Society of Film Directors created in 1968. Thus, the Cannes festivals acquired a stable bipolar structure, which became the key to the development and success of subsequent screenings.

In 1978, Gilles Jacob, who had just been appointed chief film selector, created the out-of-competition section «Un Certain Regard». Since then, Cannes has hosted festival screenings in the main competition, the «Un Certain Regard» program, the short film program and the Cinefondation — student film program; as well as in other competitive, honorary and non-competitive programs of the festival.

Russia has only once been the main winner of Cannes: in 1958, Mikhail Kalatozov’s film «Fly Cranes» received the « Palme d’Or.

Over the years, the work of Soviet and Russian filmmakers has been awarded the Grand Prix of the festival and prizes from the International Association of Film Critics (FIPRESCI): film «The Great Turning Point» F. Ermler (1946), «Man N 217» M. Romma (1946), «Solaris» A. Tarkovsky (1972), «Sibiriada» A. Konchalovsky (1979), «Nostalgia» A. Tarkovsky (1983), «Sacrifice» A. Tarkovsky (1986), «Repentance» T. Abuladze; main jury prize — «Burnt by the sun» N. Mikhalkova (1994).

Successful for Russian cinema was the 1990 Cannes Film Festival: best director — Pavel Lungin with the film «Taxi blues»; the prize for outstanding artistic achievements went to the film «Mother» Gleb Panfilov; «Golden Camera» was awarded to Vitaly Kanevsky for his debut film «Freeze, Die, Sunday».

In 2003, the International Association of Film Critics Award was awarded to director Alexander Sokurov for the film «Father and Son» submitted to the official competition of the Cannes Film Festival; in 2012, this award was awarded to the film «In the Fog» by Sergei Loznitsa, also presented at the official competition of the film festival. In 2014, Andrei Zvyagintsev’s film «Leviathan» was awarded the prize for best screenplay, in 2017 Zvyagintsev received the Jury Prize for his film «Loveless», and in 2018 Kirill Serebrennikov’s film «Summer» received the Prize for best soundtrack.

Many Russian films were included in the «Un Certain Regard» program and the «Cinéfondation» program.

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