Each May, the world’s gaze turns toward the Côte d’Azur, where the Cannes Film Festival transforms the French Riviera into a stage for cinema’s elite. Against a backdrop of palm trees, champagne flutes, and the shimmer of the Mediterranean, Hollywood’s brightest stars descend upon La Croisette, their arrivals choreographed by private jets, sleek superyachts, and flashbulbs that never stop.
It’s a tableau of glamour and artistry—where red carpets meet rarefied air, and the world’s most discerning eyes watch the marriage of film and fashion unfold.
A Grand Opening on the Riviera
The 72nd annual Festival de Cannes opened with characteristic pomp and poise, introduced by the effortlessly charming Édouard Baer. French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg and Spain’s Javier Bardem delivered the official bilingual welcome, setting the tone for eleven days of cinematic celebration.
Presiding over the festival was Alejandro González Iñárritu, the visionary behind The Revenant and Birdman. Joining him were an eclectic and global jury: Elle Fanning, Maimouna N’Diaye, Kelly Reichardt, Alice Rohrwacher, Robin Campillo, Pawel Pawlikowski, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Enki Bilal—four men, four women, representing four continents and seven nationalities. Together, they embodied the diversity and creative spirit that Cannes has championed since its inception.
The Films: Star Power and Silver Screens
Opening night saw Jim Jarmusch’s darkly comic The Dead Don’t Die premiere at the Grand Théâtre Lumière. The film’s stellar cast—Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Adam Driver, Chloë Sevigny, Selena Gomez, and Luka Sabbat—brought both wit and weight to the festival’s first red carpet of 2019.
The following evening, all eyes turned to Les Misérables, a French drama that set the Croisette ablaze once again. Julianne Moore exuded Old Hollywood sophistication in black and leather, Amber Heard shimmered in silver sequins, and Alessandra Ambrosio turned heads in a crimson gown with a daring thigh-high split.
Yet the festival’s emotional crescendo arrived with the world premiere of Rocketman, the biopic celebrating the life of Sir Elton John. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, with Taron Egerton embodying the superstar’s flamboyant genius, the film drew a constellation of celebrities, including Richard Madden, Jamie Bell, and Elton himself, who served as producer.
Tickets for the screening were Cannes’ most coveted. On the red carpet, Bella Hadid floated in white Dior ruffles, Priyanka Chopra dazzled in strapless black sequins, and Eva Longoria and Shailene Woodley shimmered beneath the Riviera lights. Sir Elton, ever the showman, arrived in a jet-black suit embroidered with a sequined rocket and the words Rocket Man blazing across his back.
Following the film, an emotional Elton moved the crowd once more—this time with a surprise performance at Carlton Beach, playing I’m Still Standing against the same seaside skyline where he filmed its 1983 music video. It was Cannes perfection: nostalgic, cinematic, and utterly unforgettable.
Legends, Laurels, and the Art of the Encore
The festival paid tribute to one of Hollywood’s enduring icons—Sylvester Stallone. With the upcoming release of Rambo V: Last Blood, Cannes celebrated his decades-long career with a retrospective montage and a 4K restoration of First Blood. The packed screening at the Palais des Festivals concluded with Sly himself taking the stage, the applause thundering like a standing ovation from history.
Meanwhile, directors Ken Loach, Jessica Hausner, and Asif Kapadia brought depth to the lineup with Sorry We Missed You, Little Joe, and Diego Maradona. And as whispers of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood spread through the Croisette, anticipation built for the inevitable meeting of DiCaprio, Pitt, and Cannes’ iconic Palais steps.
Where the Stars Stay: The Riviera’s Grand Dames
Beyond the films and flashing cameras, Cannes itself is the ultimate co-star. Along Boulevard de la Croisette, the InterContinental Carlton remains the heart of the festival’s glamour. This Belle Époque masterpiece has hosted legends from Grace Kelly to Elizabeth Taylor, and more recently, Matthew McConaughey, Antonio Banderas, and Jane Fonda. Its suites—with balconies overlooking the sea and a private beach below—remain the city’s most coveted address.
Further along the Riviera, the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes continues to define the art of discretion. For decades, it has offered privacy and perfection to Hollywood royalty like Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz, while the Hôtel Martinez provides a dazzling alternative—equally luxurious, equally photogenic.
For the elite, however, Cannes isn’t just a destination; it’s a state of mind. Many stars retreat to hidden villas and hillside estates in Antibes or St. Tropez, where they can sip vintage Champagne away from the paparazzi’s glare. Among them are Bono, Sean Connery, and Sir Elton John, each owning a piece of Riviera heaven overlooking the glittering Mediterranean.
Evenings of Elegance: Where the Riviera Comes Alive
When the final screening ends, Cannes truly awakens. Along the coast, luxury brands and production houses compete to throw the festival’s most talked-about soirées.
This year, Champagne Armand de Brignac, together with Artist International Group CEO David Unger, hosted an ultra-exclusive dinner at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc. The restaurant closed its doors to the public for one night as actors, financiers, and tastemakers gathered for a candlelit feast. Guests sipped from jeroboams of Brut Gold Cuvée and Blanc de Blancs en magnum, while famed pianist ELEW offered a moving homage to Sir Elton John, turning the evening into pure Riviera reverie.
The Curtain Call
As the 72nd Cannes Film Festival approached its closing ceremony on May 25, 2019, one truth lingered in the Riviera air: no other place in the world captures the intersection of art, ambition, and affluence quite like Cannes.
For a few enchanted days each May, this slender crescent of the French coast becomes the epicenter of the global imagination—a reminder that cinema, at its most beautiful, is not just something you watch, but something you feel.
Factbox:
The 72nd Annual Cannes Film Festival ran from May 14–25, 2019.
For more information, visit festival-cannes.com
