It seems fitting that in Travelling With The Movies' first post we should look at the location for one of the most, if not the most popular film festival location in the world. Every May, Cannes on the Cote D'Azur in southern France comes alive with film industry glamour with the Cannes International Film Festival. It is obvious to see why Cannes was chosen to host this infamous film event. The French town right on the Meditteranean Sea is sophisticated and classy with it's designer fashion boutiques and five star hotels, and extremely picturesque with it's palm tree lined promenade and crystal clear water. Let me take you inside the world of Cannes and the Cannes International Film Festival!
Cannes dates back to 125 BC when modern day Marseilles was finding it hard to control the population and turned to the Romans for help. By 1868, Cannes was starting to recieve a reputation of being a city a prestige and wealth with a number of famous English families owning property in the area. However, it was 1887 that secured the reputation of Cannes being the playground of the rish and famous, when Queen Victoria and her two sons stayed in the city. Today, old town Cannes can still be accessed and is definately worth a trip. The Old Town, Le Suquet, has the charm of a small Italian village, with it's narrow streets and low rise buildings. The Church Of Our Lady is the perfect place to take panoramic photos of the city of Cannes and marvel at their clock tower which dates back to 1662.
Today, modern day Cannes is popular for it's luxurious hotels such as the Martinez, the Majestic, the Carlton and the Hilton along the Boulevarde de la Croisette. During May, these hotels are the temporary homes of the who's who in the film industry. In 1955, Grace Kelly stayed in the Carlton while attending the film festival and it was during this trip that she met Prince Rainier of Monaco. The Cannes Palm Beach Casino up towards the end of the Boulevarde de la Croisette is the nightlife venue for celebrity spotting, with the likes of Paris Hilton and Billy Zane being seen here. There are also some fantastic restaurants and cafe's on the promenade that are perfect to celebrity watch from. Of course, the beaches are also beautiful. The seaside is unspoilt and the water sparkling blue, but can be very busy during the summer. A great way to see Cannes is to take a short trip on the Petit Train, which starts just near the small rides and sideshow's on the esplanade. It takes you all around Cannes and you get to listen to commentary in your own language through headphones provided.
Cannes is definately at it's busiest around festival time, when accommodation is hard to find and any accommodation will not be at rock bottom price. The Cannes International Film Festival was first started in 1939, but came to a halt as a result of Hitler's regime. The festival restarted in 1946 and the first festival was held at the original Palais de Festivals, which was on the site where the Palais Stephanie Hotel now stands.Some of the past winners at Cannes include Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now and Quention Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. This year the festival will run from the 11th of May till the 22nd of May and it has been announced that the Woody Allen film starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams and Marion Cotillard, Midnight In Paris will be the festival's opening feature.
The Palais des Festivals et des Congres has been the home to the festival since 1983. It is said that the red carpet from the festival is supposed to be out all year round so that people can come and have their photos taken like they were one of the superstars, but recently tourists to the area have arrived to see the Palais and have not seen it on the stairs as promised, but rolled up towards the sides. Outside the Palais, you will find the handprints of dozens of actors and directors who have attended the film in the past. Some of these stars include Jack Nicholson, Roman Polanski, Meryl Streep and the late Jane Russell. Keep a lookout for the amazing murals throughout the town with visions of movie making and actors. A favourite of many people is the Marilyn Monroe mural on the side of the Cannes Riviera Hotel, which can be seen from the train station.
Getting to Cannes:-
By Air- The closest airport is the Cote d'Azur Airport in Nice. The airport is about a half hour drive from Cannes. Taxi cab's can get quite expensive, so taking the shuttle is a good idea but it will take longer than the cab.
By Train- A train line runs right through Cannes. A train trip will take at the most 50 minutes from Nice. There are also trains which run from Paris to Genoa and stop at Cannes along the way which would take about 6 hours. It is however, a very pleasant train ride.
By Car- From Nice it will take about half an hours, but it could be longer or shorter depending on the time of the day and traffic. If you are looking to drive from Paris, it would be close to 8 hours driving time.
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