The Daily 2009

Presided by Italian director and screenwriter Paolo Sorrentino, the UCR Jury panel included actress Julie Gayet, Toronto Festival Director Piers Handling, and journalists Uma Da Cunha and Marit Kapla. At tonight's closing ceremonies in Salle Debussy, the following prizes were announced: PRIX UN CERTAIN REGARD FONDATION...

The Spanish director Isabel Coixet explained her intentions in making her latest film, Map of the Sounds of Tokyo during the press conference today. Joining her on the podium were actors Rinko Kikuchi and Sergi López, as well as her producer Jaume Roures. Selected highlights follow. Isabel Coixet on Japan: The first time...

The crew of the Competition feature Face, director Tsai Ming-Liang, actors Fanny Ardant, Laetitia Casta, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Yi-Ching Lu and Kang-Sheng Lee, Louvre Museum Director Henri Loyrette, and producers Marianne Dumoulin, Jacques Bidou, and Vincent Wang, fielded questions from reporters at today's press conference. Tsai...

For those of you who were still wondering about the identity of the mysterious young woman seen in motion from behind, featured on the official Cannes Festival 2009 poster, it is Italian actress Monica Vitti in a still from the masterpiece by Michelangelo Antonioni, The Adventure, winner of the 1960 Prix du Jury. The magnificent image...

The official Cannes Festival awards are always preceded by the announcement of prizes for the films which screened in two other Cannes selections. - The Ecumenical Jury Prize was awarded to Looking for Eric by British director Ken Loach, with a Special Mention for The White Ribbon, by Austrian Michael Haneke. Both films screened in...

Within the framework of "High School Students and Cinema Apprentices", pupils pursuing technical and professional degrees at the Hotel Mangement School of Avignon were able to participate at the Festival de Cannes. An exceptional film adventure - in the opinion of all - whose grand finale was being on the red carpet on the...

Winding up the Competition, the Cannes Film Festival welcomes a Taiwanese filmmaker, Tsai Ming-Liang, with the presentation of his latest film, Face, starring three French actors: Fanny Ardant – whose directorial debut film Ashes and Blood is up for a Caméra d’Or, Laetitia Casta and Jean-Pierre Léaud. This...

The Competition feature Map of the Sounds of Tokyo by Spanish director Isabel Coixet tells a story of love and vengeance in the Japanese megacity. Coixet recalls the genesis of her film: "Films, like tunes or poems, spring from strange encounters, from odd associations that can be completely incongruent but full of magic. In the...

The Short Films in Competition will begin screening today. The international Short Film Jury is presided by British director John Boorman; the panel is made up of actresses Leonor Silveira and Zhang Ziyi and directors Ferid Boughedir and Bertrand Bonello. At tomorrow night's Closing Ceremonies, they will announce the winner of the...

Closing the outdoor screenings at the Cinéma de la Plage, beachside festivalgoers will first enjoy the musical prelude at 8 :30pm given by Belle Roscoe paying homage to their influences in folk music that were used for many film soundtracks. The Australian group includes sisters Julia and Sarah Gurry along with brother...

Spotted or expected in Cannes today: Lionel Abelansky, Simon Abkarian,  Anne Alvaro, Fanny Ardant, Ariane Ascaride, Sabine Azéma,  Edouard Baer, Jean-Marc Barr, Dédina Bernardelli, Sandrine Bonnaire, Elodie Bouchez, Nathaniel Brown, Laetitia Casta, François Cluzet, Grégoire Colin, Penelope Cruz,...