Cannes fetes itself with massive 70th anniversary bash
CANNES, France — The Cannes Film Festival threw a star-studded celebration Tuesday for its 70th anniversary, drawing mobs of celebrities and a dozen former Palme d’Or winners to commemorate the illustrious French Riviera festival’s birthday.
Big names from across cinema streamed down the Cannes red carpet Tuesday night for a ceremony that recounted the festival’s history through a series of clip reels and with moments of tribute to the victims of Monday’s explosion at a concert in Manchester, England. The festivities began earlier in the day, when the festival gathered more than 100 current and former Cannes participants for a “Cannes family portrait.”
Among the many in attendance were Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Tilda Swinton, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard and Jessica Chastain. Filmmakers Guillermo del Toro, George Miller, Alejandro Inarritu and many more were also there.
But the most honoured guests were the former Palme d’Or winners, several of whom have films at this year’s festival. On hand were Roman Polanski, David Lynch, Jane Campion, Ken Loach, Bernardo Bertolucci, Michael Haneke and others. They were seated in the front row for the collective photo and were the last to walk the Cannes red carpet Tuesday night.