Far from the red carpet, there are the lesser-known actors who come to Cannes to hustle up contacts and self-promote. We caught up with 30-year-old Tony Mpoudja, who told us about his experience as a black actor in France's very white film industry.
There's a festive atmosphere outside at Cannes this year. Inside the screening rooms, it's another story, with a pair of Anglophones getting the competition off to a bleak, disturbing start -- with very different results.
Cannes has begun. The proof? Journalists elbowing each other to get into the morning press screening of Woody Allen's “Midnight in Paris” -- and with good reason. The movie is a fresh, fast-moving ode to Paris and the pursuit of fantasy.
It’s the calm before the (hopefully figurative) storm here in Cannes one day before the festival kicks off. But last-minute preparations are underway, and there's excitement in the air -- especially since this year, the big names are back.
A rather apolitical-looking Cannes selection got a fierce shot of politics this past weekend, when films from two jailed Iranian directors -- Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof -- were added to the line-up.
An unusual-sounding (as in silent and black-and-white) French film, "The Artist", has been added to the main competition line-up. Meanwhile, "The Beloved", the new movie from hip French auteur Christophe Honoré will close the festival.
What stands out among films outside the central line-up this year? Woody Allen in Paris (with First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy), President Sarkozy skewered onscreen, a teen romance by Gus Van Sant, and the latest from French heavyweight André Téchiné.
Robert De Niro will be presiding over a typically international jury mixing glamorous actors, well-regarded industry professionals, and a literary figure with a serious film legacy. Will they agree on the winners?
After a disappointing 2010 edition, hopes are high for Cannes 2011 -- especially since the official competition selection announced last week looks promising. Here are some initial observations, gripes, and pleasant surprises.