Cannes International Film Festival

The Cannes International Film Festival (French: Le Festival International du Film de Cannes or just Festival de Cannes), is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals.The invitation-only festival is held annually (usually in May) at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. The 2011 Cannes Film Festival took place from May 11 to May 22, 2011. The President of the Jury was the American actor Robert De Niro.

The highly coveted Palme D'or prize was introduced in 1955 with recipients over the years including Martin Scorcese's Taxi Driver, Steven Soderbergh's Sex, Lies and Videotape and Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction.

The tone was set...and that included spectacle and hype. For the premiere of Around the World in 80 Days in 1957, caged lions and circus performers decorated the Palais stage, while a huge air balloon bumped along the theatre ceiling.

The 1968 opening-night re-release of Gone With the Wind featured a recreation of Atlanta burning on the beach. You wonder what they'd have done for Saving Private Ryan.

In 1962 the International Critics' Week was born, created by the French Union of Film Critics and aimed at showcasing the first and second works by directors from all over the world. The first Directors' Fortnight took place in 1969,a new non-competitive section that programmed a selection of films from around the globe. Its creation was prompted by the 1968 strike supporting protesting students and workers.

Nowadays, the festival has a staff of more than 850 with a budget racking up more than $30m. In just 12 days, nearly 1,500 films will be screened from more than 90 countries.

The festival also thrives on controversy - director Vincent Gallo wished critic Roger Ebert cancer Brown Bunny...the worst film?after he condemned his film Brown Bunny. Rather sadly, that's just what the critic got…although he’s now in remission.

Scandinavian Dogme director Lars von Trier, miffed at just receiving a technical award for Zentropa, branded jury president Roman Polanski a midget for fiving the Palme D'Or to Barton Fink.

On a more positive note, Steven Spielberg said it was "the greatest night of my life" after the standing ovation for the closing night screening of ET in 1982.

Less happy were the TV presenters Susannah Constantine and Trinny Woodall, who were the victims of a robbery at their villa at the festival in 2002.

This year's line-up is one of the most populist for decades with Ridley Scott's Robin Hood getting the sun-kissed show on the road.

Other films showing include Oliver Stone's Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, festival favourite Mike Leigh's Another Year and Woody Allen's You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger.