Yes we do get some rain here on the Cote d’Azur but the sea breezes soon blow the rain-clouds away. Here’s what we saw on Saturday afternoon – with a second paler rainbow a few meters to the west (to the right)

Rainbow on the Mediterranean sea

The lovers – Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward poster will be reproduced on tee-shirts, watches, beach towels, and may other items in the general merchandising – there is an official Film Festival boutique authorised to sell these and many items bearing the official Palme d’Or emblem (the golden palm leaf).

What most people don’t realise is that there are about 1000 films to see at all the screening rooms in all the cinemas throughout Cannes from early morning to late evening, and not just the 20ish in the Palme d’Or red-carpet competition screenings at the Palais des Festivals.  The Palais is where the official photographers mass to photo the producers, directors and stars of the film being shown at that time – as well as the jury personalities as they progress up the red carpet.

Generally people think it is 90% glitz ‘n tits ‘n parties, and 10% business – but it is the other way round, with the glitz for publicity to bring in the world press.  Such a fun time.

The world press, understandably, writes about the stars and celebrities on the red carpet or about the Directors and their films – with seldom a word about the enormous business of producing, financing and distribution rights which is what the festival is really all about.

It was announced this morning that other members of Steven Spielberg’s star-studded jury will include ANG LEE, NICOLE KIDMAN, CHRISTOPH WALTZ, and DANIEL AUTEUIL.  The Festival artistic director said this morning: “Steven Spielberg will be the centre and we are finishing the jury with great people.   We have a lot of filmmakers coming from all over the world and they need to be sure that those who make the decisions about the awards have their own legitimacy and the respect to do that”

Tickets to the red-carpet screenings are reserved strictly for the thousands who are accredited to the festival and who sport the festival badge with their own identification photo. But for all the thousands of non-showbusiness visitors, the Cannes Town Hall organises huge screenings on the beach and anyone can grab a seat and watch during the evening.

Cannes becomes the centre of the film world and it is exciting to see all the hotels all along the Croisette sporting huge promotion posters. Many of the rental apartments are used as offices with banners strung across the outside balconies and terraces to advertise the film company there. All the available hotel suites and rental apartments are full of people in the business, all rushing around Cannes from meeting to meeting.

So, if you have an apartment here, this is one of the many conventions bringing in rental clients.

It is estimated that around 200,000 people pour into Cannes each May for this famous international festival – many here for the 12-day duration of the carnival – sorry I mean festival! – and many day visitors to soak up the atmosphere on the Croisette, gawk and gaze at the stars on the red-carpet, stand around the big Palace hotels in the hope of catching sight of a celebrity, and to watch the TV interview crews.

There are many facilities for those not accredited and not sporting the coveted identification badge.  For example, there are continual TV screened interviews on a large platform built out over the Martinez beach, where the interviewers have a stream of famous Cannes visitors; there are beach screenings of old and well-loved films; there is a dedicated festival boutique with many items emblazoned with the famous Palm Leaf emblem; 100s of photographers on the streets to click your reminder of a great occasion; there are special invitations from the Cannes Town Hall for residents of Cannes to the red-carpet screenings.

Not many know that on the Monday following the festival, there are 3 screenings of the film which has won the Palme d’Or the night before, just for Cannes residents.  You must register before the festival with identification and a utility bill to prove ownership, and into the draw you go.  So many thousands of local people get their chance to walk up the red-carpet at the famous Palais des Festivals. It is the Cannes Mayor’s way of giving back to compensate for a bit of inconvenience, i.e. difficult to get around, difficult to park, difficult to get a restaurant booking.  But so exciting – we all love it.

If you are a convention visitor/participant to Cannes and still need accommodation for any of the international conventions contact me, Jackie Pressman, and I will try to arrange something for you in central Cannes, even at this late time.  Whether you are a seasoned delegate or new participant you can trust me to take care of your requirements – see my references page on this website.

“The Great Gatsby” will be shown in 3D in Cannes for the 66th festival opening of this renowned event on Wednesday 15th May, and Leonardo Di-Caprio will grace Cannes’ red carpet as the star of the film.  It is his latest work and he stars alongside Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire.

“The Great Gatsby” is based on the classic novel of the same name written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The film is written by director Baz Luhrmann, who has already featured in the festival twice before with ‘Strictly Ballroom’ and ‘Moulin Rouge’.

I, Jackie Pressman, have noticed that this 66th Film Festival will be a particularly American occasion: Steven Spielberg leading the jury; the poster of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward; the opening film starring Leonardo di Caprio; and we have been inundated for accommodation and parties for Americans visiting Cannes for this festival.

The American Club of the Riviera will be hosting their Film Festival lunch at one of the Cannes beaches, with guests including Industry figures.  See you there!

The historic “Art Deco” style sign of the Hôtel Martinez

The Hôtel Martinez in Cannes and the Palais de la Mediterranée in Nice have been christened under new names following a new management agreement between Chicago-based Hyatt and Constellations Hotels Holding Ltd. The local landmarks now fall under the Hyatt family of hotels, and have lengthier titles to match.

The historic sign of the Hôtel Martinez will still be featured in this year’s Cannes Film Festival in May, announced Hyatt following their execution of management agreements for hotels in Paris, Cannes and Nice, but a new sign displaying the altered title will be affixed to the hotel entrance thereafter.

So for us Canois, we need to know that the Hotel Martinez will be officially named ‘Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez’.  The Palais de la Mediterranee hotel and casino in Nice will be officially named ‘Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Mediterranee’.  Quite a mouthfull! so I believe they will still be referred to as their original names!

Hyatt acknowledged that ‘Paris and Cannes are France’s two most important cities for business and leisure travel.  Cannes and Nice are two of the most in-demand resort areas in the world’.

So another long-established American hotel chain has a hold in France and they anticipate renovating and improving the hotels they take over for management.  They have appointed an award-winning director from Milan, Claudio Cecchereli, as the new experienced General Director of the Martinez.

One of the very best restaurants in Cannes – with wonderful views of the bay – is the Michelin 2-starred Art Deco ‘La Palme d’Or’ at the Martinez.  We hope Claudio Cechereli doesn’t make any changes there!

I, Jackie Pressman, wish him a hearty welcome and look forward to the changes he proposes.

Making REAL chocolate has become a huge interest throughout the western world, with more and more famous and less-famous people doing their very utmost to produce the world’s best chocolate with the highest percentage of real cacao beans.

We just re-watched the original film of ‘Chocolat’ with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp and I commend it to you, so that you can better understand the very basis of this exploding craze.

Meanwhile, I had enormous pleasure (of course) to visit the Salon du Chocolat here in Cannes – a convention with the very best chocolate makers displaying their wares. But perhaps more important were the stands showing HOW they made their chocolate – from bags of cacao beans to the smooth dark flowing high-percentage chocolate we are coming to love more and more – see photos below.

I must say that I enjoyed every moment – and every taste! I am a real convert and cannot even compare with what we used to call chocolate when we were children.

The Cannes chocolate convention

Original cocao beans

making smooth dark chocolate

Chocolate cascade display

Fruit flavours

Fruit and flower flavours

chocolates and macaroons

Specialities for the children