Cannes Film Festival facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cannes Film Festival

Location	Cannes, France
Founded	31 August 1939; 85 years ago (1939-08-31) (as International Film Festival)
Awards	Palme d'Or, Grand Prix
Artistic director	Thierry Frémaux
Current: 2025
2026 2024

Cannes seen from Le Suquet

The Cannes Film Festival (French: Festival de Cannes) is one of the most famous film festivals in the world. It takes place every year in Cannes, France. At this festival, new movies of all kinds are shown, including documentaries. Filmmakers from all over the world bring their latest works here.

The festival started in 1946 and usually happens in May. Only people who are invited can attend. The main events are held at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. Cannes is known as one of the "Big Three" film festivals in Europe, along with the Venice and Berlin festivals. It's also one of the "Big Five" worldwide, which also includes Toronto and Sundance.

History of the Cannes Film Festival

How it all began

A note from 1939 about France wanting to start its own film festival.

The idea for the Cannes Film Festival came about in 1938. Jean Zay, who was France's Minister of National Education, wanted to create a new international film festival. He got help from Philippe Erlanger, a historian, and Robert Favre Le Bret, a film journalist. They also had support from America and Britain.

France wanted to start its own festival because they felt the Venice Film Festival was not fair. At that time, the Venice festival was the only big international film festival. However, it was being influenced by political leaders. For example, in 1937, Benito Mussolini (Italy's leader) stopped a French movie called La Grande Illusion from winning.

Things got worse in 1938. Mussolini and Adolf Hitler (Germany's leader) changed the jury's decisions. They made sure that an Italian war film and a German documentary about the 1936 Olympics won the top awards. This was unfair because the rules said documentaries couldn't win. The French, British, and American judges were very upset. They left the festival and decided not to come back.

This unfairness encouraged France to create a new, fair festival. On May 31, 1939, the city of Cannes was chosen to host the festival. Cannes was picked because it's a popular tourist spot on the French Riviera. The city also promised to help pay for the festival and even build a special place for it.

Many famous Hollywood stars like Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, and Norma Shearer came for the first festival. On August 31, 1939, the opening night happened with a special showing of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. But the very next day, September 1, Germany invaded Poland. This started the Second World War. The festival was quickly cancelled.

After the war

In 1946, the festival finally started again. From September 20 to October 5, 1946, films from 21 countries were shown at the first official Cannes International Film Festival. In 1949, a new building called the Palais des Festivals was built especially for the event. In 1951, the festival moved to spring to avoid clashing with the Venice Festival.

Growing bigger and better

In the 1950s, the festival became very popular. It attracted many tourists and a lot of media attention. The artistic side of the festival also grew. To recognize great films, the Critics' Prize was created. In 1955, the famous Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) award was introduced. This replaced the Grand Prix as the top prize.

In 1959, the Marché du Film (Film Market) was started. This made the festival a place where people could buy and sell movies. Today, it's the biggest international market for film business.

In 1962, the International Critics' Week began. This section focuses on showing first and second films from new directors around the world. It helps new talent get noticed. In 1968, the festival was stopped early because of student and worker protests happening across France. Filmmakers supported the protests and formed the Film Directors' Society. In 1969, this group created the Directors' Fortnight, another section for independent films.

Changes in the 1970s and 1980s

The 1970s brought more big changes. In 1972, a new system was put in place to select films. This helped choose movies based on their artistic quality, rather than political reasons. Before this, different countries chose which films would represent them. But now, a special committee picked the films.

In 1978, Gilles Jacob became the new General Delegate. He added the Caméra d'Or award for the best first film. He also created the Un Certain Regard section for unique and different films. The festival was also made shorter, lasting only thirteen days. The jury, which decides the awards, started including more celebrities and film professionals.

In 1983, a much larger Palais des Festivals et des Congrès was built to host the festival. In 1987, a red carpet was used at the entrance for the first time. This became a famous tradition.

From the 1990s to today

In 1998, Gilles Jacob created the Cinéfondation. This section helps support new filmmakers and screenwriters from around the world. In 2002, the festival officially changed its name to Festival de Cannes.

In the 2000s, the festival started to focus on new technology in filmmaking, especially digital techniques. In 2004, old classic films that had been restored were shown in a new section called Cannes Classics. In 2020, the festival had to be postponed and then cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it returned in 2021.

Festival team

The Cannes Film Festival has a team of people who help run it. The most important roles are the President and the General Delegate.

The President represents the festival to sponsors, government groups, and the media. They are chosen by the festival's board of directors. The President serves for three years and can be re-elected. They also choose their team members, like the General Delegate.

The General Delegate is in charge of making sure all the events run smoothly. In 2001, when Gilles Jacob became President, two new roles were created: a General Director to manage the event and an Artistic Director to choose the films. However, in 2007, Thierry Frémaux became the General Delegate again, taking on both roles.

The General Secretary handles practical things, like receiving all the films submitted to the festival.

Programmes and Sections

The Cannes Film Festival is divided into different parts, each with its own focus:

• The Official Selection – This is the main part of the festival.
  • In Competition – These are the films competing for the Palme d'Or, the top award. They are shown in the Théâtre Lumière.
  • Un Certain Regard – This section shows unique and different films from various cultures. These films compete for the Prix un certain regard.
  • Out of Competition – These films are shown at special gala screenings but do not compete for the main awards.
  • Midnight Screenings – These are special films shown late at night. They also do not compete for awards.
  • Cannes Premieres – These films are shown for the first time at the festival but are not in the main competition.
  • Special Screenings – These films are chosen for their unique qualities and are shown in a special way.
  • Cinéfondation – This section features short and medium-length films made by students from film schools around the world.
  • Short Films – About 10 short films compete for the Short Film Palme d'Or.
  • Cannes Classics – This section celebrates old and important films. It shows restored versions of classic movies and documentaries.
  • Cinéma de la Plage – Classic and new films are shown for free on Macé beach, often with live music.

• Parallel Sections – These are other programs that explore different kinds of cinema.
  • International Critics' Week – Since 1962, this section has focused on finding new and exciting directors by showing their first or second films.
  • Directors' Fortnight – Since 1969, this section has highlighted cutting-edge and independent films.
  • ACID (Association for Independent Cinema and its Distribution) – This section supports independent films and helps them find distributors.
  • Tous les Cinémas du Monde – This shows the variety of films from different countries. Each day, one country presents its unique movies.

• Events – Special activities that happen during the festival.
  • Marché du Film – This is the busiest film market in the world. It's where filmmakers sell their movies to distributors. It also has a program called impACT, which talks about important topics like making films more environmentally friendly.
  • Masterclasses – Famous filmmakers give talks and share their knowledge with the public.
  • Tributes – These events honor well-known artists by showing one of their films and giving them an award.
  • Producers Network – This helps filmmakers find partners for international movie projects.
  • Exhibitions – Each year, there are art shows or displays related to film during the festival.

Juries

Before the festival begins, special groups of people called juries are chosen. These juries are the only ones who decide which films will win awards. Jury members are famous artists from around the world, chosen because of their great work and respect from others. The head of the jury, called the president, is chosen by the festival's board of directors.

• Feature Films Jury – This international jury, led by a president, decides the awards for the main films in competition.
• Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury – This jury awards the Short Film Palme d'Or and prizes for the best student films.
• Un Certain Regard Jury – This jury gives the Un Certain Regard Prize for the best film in that section.
• Caméra d'Or Jury – This jury awards the best first film shown at the entire festival, no matter which section it's in.

The juries meet each year at the beautiful Villa Domergue to choose the winners.

Awards

The Palme d'Or awarded to Apocalypse Now in 1979.

In 2013, Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos won the Palme d'Or along with the director for their film Blue Is the Warmest Colour.

The most important award at Cannes is the Palme d'Or, which means "Golden Palm." It is given to the best film.

Here are some of the main awards:

• Competition Awards
  • Palme d'Or – The Golden Palm, for the best film.
  • Palme d'Or du court métrage – For the best short film.
  • Grand Prix – The Grand Prize of the Festival.
  • Prix du Jury – The Jury Prize.
  • Prix de la mise en scène – For the best director.
  • Prix d'interprétation masculine – For the best actor.
  • Prix d'interprétation féminine – For the best actress.
  • Prix du scénario – For the best screenplay (story).

• Other Section Awards
  • Prix Un Certain Regard – For young talent and bold, new films.
  • Cinéfondation prizes – For student films.
  • Caméra d'Or – For the best first film by a new director.

• Awards from Independent Groups
  • FIPRESCI Prize – Given by international film critics.
  • Directors' Fortnight Prizes – Awards for films in the Directors' Fortnight section.
  • PRIX CST de l'Artiste Technicien – For a technical artist in filmmaking.
  • International Critics' Week Prizes – Awards for films in the Critics' Week section.
  • Prize of the Ecumenical Jury – An award given by a jury from Christian film organizations.
  • François Chalais Prize – For a film that shows positive human values.
  • L'Œil d'or – For the best documentary film.
  • Trophée Chopard – For rising young actors.
  • Palm Dog – A fun award for the best dog performance in a film!
  • Queer Palm – For films that explore LGBT themes.
  • Cannes Soundtrack Award – For the best music in a film.
  • Pierre Angénieux Excellens in Cinematography – Honors great camera work.
  • Women in Motion – Since 2015, this award celebrates women who have made a big difference in the film industry, especially in raising awareness about women's issues.

Impact of the Festival

The Cannes Film Festival is very important for movies, especially for European films. It helps show these films to the world and makes people see European cinema as "art" cinema.

Because so many media outlets cover the festival, it gets a lot of attention. Many famous stars attend, and it's a popular place for filmmakers to show their new movies. They also try to sell their films to distributors who come from all over the world. This helps new movies reach audiences everywhere.

See also

In Spanish: Festival de Cannes para niños

• Directors' Fortnight
• International Critics' Week
• List of Cannes Film Festival jury presidents
• List of Cannes Film Festival juries (Feature films)
• List of Cannes Film Festival records
• Marché du Film