| Day
6 – Monday 18 May
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| Armageddon Party was Smoky | |
| The Armageddon party was a smoking good time. In front of the beach
location, a car was on display with a heavily smoking meteor inside. The
massive crowds went from room to room where the different bands were
playing while others waited in line for the simulator ride. The All the
Little Animals (film by Jeremy Thomas, UK) adopted a Caribbean theme for
their party.
Midway into the festival, Loach’s My Name is Joe and Benigni’s Life is Beautiful are the top picks for the Palme d’Or. Official Selection film Festen by Dannish director Thomas Vinterberg was sold to October Films, the first film in this section to be acquired by the USA. The big seller in A Certain Regard section is Love is the Devil about the painter Francis Bacon : 7 European country sales plus Israel, Russia, South Africa and the USA. |
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The family is the underlying thread of the official films shown today. Aprile by Nanni Moretti looks at himself, his wife and his son in a personal chronical, quite funny and well-applauded. Benigni may be called the Italian Charlie Chaplin, but Moretti has been matched to Woody Allen. The other Official Selection film, Festen by Thomas Vinterberg, portrayed a more troubled family. Vinterberg is part of Dogme-95 uniting four Dannish directors, including Lars Van Trier, who abide by a pact to shoot with shoulder-held cameras only giving images in movement. Gerard Depardieu should have continued mingling in Cannes… On his return to Paris where he is presently working on the film Asterix, the French actor was injured in a motorcycle crash. Sideline events *The MITIC, the film market conferences (debates and presentations), are looking at digital techniques today and DVDs tomorrow. *The 15th International Trailer Festival will take place 20 May. The jury is presided by French director Jean-Paul Rappeneau and the awards will be bestowed at the Ambassadeurs Theatre as part of the Quinzaine des Realisateurs. A homage to Martin Scorsese will present of selection from his films. *The American Foundation for Aids Research is holding a dinner/auction at the Moulins de Mougins. Sharon Stone, in Cannes for the film The Mighty by Peter Chelsom (out of competition), will host the soiree, which will also be attended by Elton John and Jeanne Moreau. Those wishing to bid for the jewelry and cruises up for auction can do so via the Internet: www.cannes-auction.amfar.org. *The Hot d’Or awards for the best porn films and stars will be held Wednesday night, 20 May. Lot’s of buzz around town as the exact location of the event is being kept a secret until the last moment. |
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