The Cannes Film Festival was launched around 1939 as an alternative by the French Minister of National Education out of concern of interfence of both the Fascist and Nazi movements of both Italy and Germany and their impact on the Venice Film Festival. The first Cannes Film Festival had difficulty getting established due to France and the United Kingdom declaring war against Germany on September 3, 1939.
The major catalyst asides from Germany and Italy was when the film “La Grande Illusion” by Jean Renoir was overlooked for the top prize, the “Mussolini Cup.” Instead, it was awarded to a film called “Olympia” detailing Nazi success at the 1938 Berlin Olympics and “Luciano Serra, Pilota.”
France was outraged because the film was overlooked in favor of films promoting Nazi and Fascist propaganda. France, Britain, and the United States withdrew from the jury of the Venice Film Festival. At the same time Renoir’s film which was anti-war was banned in Germany and Italy.
While the Venice Film Festival was in turmoil, Cannes capitalized on it. They petitioned the French Government to make an alternative film festival in France. This one was a festival that would be films can be shown and compete against one another without political bias. Especially bias from Fascists and the Nazis.
But due to strong lobbying, the French Government gave in and gave the Cannes Film Festival the go ahead. And thus the Cannes Film Festival was born.
However, it wouldn’t be held again until 1946 from September 20 to October 5 in the old casino in Cannes. But because of problems in the budget, the Cannes Film Festival wouldn’t be held in 1948 nor 1950.
By the 1950s, the Cannes Film Festival gained great growth that the month was changed from September to April. It was to avoid competition with the Berlin and Venice Film Festivals. At the same time, it was easier for people to travel between Berlin, Cannes, and Venice to attend all three festivals and thus sharing the benefits of premieres.
Cannes would present a diversity of films from the top international directors of the world. First it was a place for tourists and socialites, Cannes grew to be a place for the international film industry to get together and network for future projects.
In the 60s, a sidebar called the Semaine Internationale de la Critique was established that focused on presenting works of first and second time directors. In the late 60s, there was a strike that cancelled one of the festivals.
American cinema dominated in the 70s. But there were plenty of European films being shown in that decade as well such as Andrei Tarkovski’s “Solaris.” Three sidebars would be introduced in 1975 but would be rolled into a single sidebar in 1978 called the “Un Certain Regard.” That same year, the “Camera d’Or” award was introduced for best first-time feature film in any section.
A new Palais des Festivals et des Congres was commissioned on the site of the old winter casino int he 80s due to its huge growth. The location would host its film festival in ‘83 bringing a plethora of stars.
Today, it’s the biggest of all film festivals and media events of the world. More than a thousand films from a hundred different countries. The biggest American and international stars will show up with all the glamour gazed upon by the grounds. But everybody still gathers to watch the films.
Keep in mind if it wasn’t for the events surrounding the early years of the Venice Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival would never have been created.
Related posts:
- An overview of the most prestigious movie awards around the world
Getting bored by the standard MTV Movie awards and Academy Awards? Well there are alternatives. The beautiful thing about movies is that just about everyone in the world can appreciate...
- When in Rome Visit the Film Festival ... the craft of acting.
Visitors wishing to experience the Rome Film Festival can take advantage of cheap flights to Rome’s two main international airports,... - Venice Film Festival Premiers Puccini E La Fanciulla ... extraordinary area to the full. The Tuscan villas in our collection of Tuscan villa rentals, many of which are luxury villas, are in the most beautiful positions...
- Luxury Villas Mougins ... Many people use the town as a base from which to explore the region and, during the Cannes Film Festival, villa rental in Mougins is big business, with...
- Los Angeles Car Hire ... world’s most famous outdoor gym.
Eating Out in LA:
LA boasts fantastic choice in terms of restaurants. With LA car hire, you’re free to drive from...