Mediawala Festival

As the name suggests, the Cannes International Film Festival is held in Cannes on the Cote D'Ázure (or the French Riviera) in France. It is an annual occurrence which nowadays takes place during the month of May.

The concept of the festival dates back to 1932 when with the rise of fascism in Europe, the Venice Film Festival, was perceived to be giving its awards to German and Italian Fascist film makers rather than to those of other countries. In 1938, after the main award, the Mussolini Cup, was shared by a film commissioned by Joseph Goebbels and one made by Mussolini's own son, the French, British and American participants quit the festival in protest.

Later that year some French filmmakers and critics petitioned the French Government to support a film festival where films could be judged on merit rather than in a political context. The choice of venue was between Biarritz and Cannes and the latter was chosen, not because of its wonderful situation but because it was the only place willing to fund the festival. Scheduled to begin on 01 September 1939, the first film festival was finished before it could begin, as events within Europe led to the start of the Second World War.

On the 19 September 1946, the event actually took place for the first time, and although successful, the next few years saw financial difficulties and no festival was held in either 1948 or 1950. In 1952, the purpose built Palais de Croisette opened and became the venue for the festival for the next 30 odd years. In 1954 two events occurred which would shape the face of the Cannes Film Festival. Firstly, a Parisienne jeweller by the name of Suzanne Lazon mooted the suggestion that the iconic palm trees of Cannes should be used in the design of the award presented. The idea was so well received that the following year the top prize was christened the Palme d'Or and so it remains today. Secondly, "glamour "was introduced as part of the show when Robert Mitchum, who was being photographed on the beach, was upstaged by a French Starlet, Simone Sylva, who began the trend for topless modelling. In the years after that a bikini-clad Bridgitte Bardot could regularly be seen on the beach during the period of the Festival.

In the early days the Cannes International Film Festival was seen as a tourist attraction and a magnet for socialites, who were more interested in being seen and partying than watching any films. During the sixties, as the festivals popularity increased, more film makers saw the venue as a place to meet to discuss business and in 1961 Marche du Film, which was conceived in 1959, was officially incorporated into the festival. In 1962 the first of the competition "sidebars", Semaine International de Critique, was introduced with a view to showcasing the works of new directors. More" sidebars" were introduced during the seventies which so complicated the selection process that in 1978 they were all placed under one category "Un Certain Regard". In the same year the Camera d'Or, which is award to the best feature film, was also inaugurated.

Cannes International Film Festival, now housed in the Palais des Festivals et des Congres, continues to showcase films from all around the world and continues to attract the stars who take advantage of the enormous media presence.