05-14-04
Cannes Opens with a Bang
by David Michael
"Sitting next to Bernal, Almodóvar was genuinely emotional about being invited to open the festival. "I feel like I've got vertigo," the 52-year-old filmmaker confessed. "I'm not in competition, but the simple fact of opening the festival is like receiving a prize. I feel like the puppeteer of an immense theatre, half-smiling, ready to open the curtain and reveal hundreds of cinematic emotions to my audience."

Hollywood and Cannes Start Warming to Each Other
via Reuters
"Hollywood and Cannes always had a love-hate relationship. Now they have come closer together in a marriage of convenience. Partly prompted by hard economics, the world's movie capital has discovered that the flashy Riviera festival is after all a good place to showcase its wares."

Docu Mondovino poured into Competition
by Charles Masters
"As the competitive section got under way Thursday, organizers took festival watchers by surprise when they moved the documentary Mondovino, directed by American Jonathan Nossiter (Sunday), into a Competition slot. "We want to stay light and supple," Cannes artistic director Thierry Fremaux said. "It's like a filmmaker who puts the finishing touches to his movie right up to the last minute – we're doing the same thing with the lineup."

Tarantino parties on at Cannes opening night
by Charles Masters and Stuart Kemp
"Tarantino emerged as the star of the opening ceremony, with a montage of his movies shown as an appetizer to the main feature. "Cinema, mon amour," he yelled into the microphone. "I'd like to say to the audience and the people of France, I love cinema, and it's an honor to be jury president of this magnifique festival. Vive le cinema!"

Czech Film Center first showcase at Cannes
via FilmFestivals.com
"This year, for the first time in its history, the Czech Republic, represented by Czech Film Center, will actively participate in the legendary Cannes International Film Festival. Czech Film Center's mission is twofold. While on the one hand it aims to re-establish the presentation of Czech cinematography to renowned foreign film professionals, on the other it seeks to communicate news about contemporary Czech cinematography and the country's film industry infrastructure, and provide information on opportunities in the area of international co-productions."

Cannes Coverage Exclusive
by "George the Cyclist"
"And the films have begun. They started off at a trickle yesterday with just 40 screenings, most of which were market screenings that some film-maker has paid thousands of dollars for hoping to get his film noticed and distributed. Today we have some 300 films to choose from and tomorrow, Friday, there will be even more."

Cannes Coverage Exclusive Continued
by "George the Cyclist"
"Cannes is much quieter than I anticipated. And this morning when we stopped at the local supermarket to stock up on food for the day on the way in to our first screening we were surprised to learn it didn’t open until 8:30. So breakfast was quiche at a bakery."
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