Cannes winner splits critics  tvnz.co.nz 25 May 10 Not enough good movies, too few stars and a choice of winner that had many scratching their heads - the 2010 Cannes film festival is unlikely to be remembered as a classic. Thai film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, one of 19 entries in competition, took the coveted Palme d'Or for best picture, delighting some critics but angering others. 'Uncle Boonmee', Palm of Boredom was the headline in French daily Le Figaro, which called the slow-paced examination of reincarnation by Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul dull, incomprehensible and hallucinatory. Reuters.

Cannes Film Festival Awards List For 2010  worldof22.com 23 May 10

Cannes Film Festival 'ready' after freak storm  bbc.co.uk 05 May 10 Cannes Film Festival organisers have said the French resort will be ready for the start of the event after it was hit by severe weather. Freak waves caused millions of Euros of damage to waterfront cafes on the town's landmark Croisette. "We will need several days to clean up, but it should all be ready on time," said city councillor David Lisnard. The film festival runs from 12-23 May and will attract thousands of people to the south of France. Some 10,000 film industry people and an additional 4,000 journalists are expected to attend the event.

Cannes struggles to prepare for festival as unseasonal wind and waves batter coast  guardian.co.uk 05 May 10 The Côte d'Azur was struggling to retain its seasonal spirit after huge waves and strong winds left the coastline badly damaged a week before the world's rich and famous are due to arrive for the 63rd Cannes film festival. Waves between 4 and 10 metres high crashed into the Promenade des Anglais in Nice and the Croisette in Cannes Tuesday afternoon, overturning cars and battering seafront restaurants. Teams of workers laboured through the night to sweep away the displaced sand, clean the pavements and clear the detritus. The deputy mayor of Cannes said the cost of the damage would run into millions of euros. Lizzy Davies.

Cannes ’10 – The Line Up: Godard, Woody, Kitano, Araki, Leigh & more  Indiewire.com 15 Apr 10 While a big budget Hollywood production will open the 63rd Cannes Film Festival next month, cinema’s most important annual event will debut an array of new films by acclaimed auteurs from around the world. Filmmakers ranging from Jean Luc Godard, Woody Allen and Oliver Stone to Takeshi Kitano, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Gregg Araki will premiere anticipated movies at the annual festival along the French Mediterranean coast. An incomplete lineup for the 2010 event was unveiled Thursday morning in Paris by festival chief Thierry Fremaux. Sixteen films are in competition, so far. Eugene Hernandez & Brian Brooks.

News agencies boycott Cannes briefing over access  Reuters.com 14 Apr 10 News agencies Agence France-Press, Associated Press, Getty Images and Reuters said on Wednesday they would boycott a press conference announcing the line-up at this year's Cannes film festival due to a dispute over video access. The briefing, to be held in Paris on Thursday, is the most important ahead of the May 12-23 event, the world's largest film festival. The new limitations are linked to a contract between the Cannes film festival and French broadcaster Canal Plus and pay-TV service Orange.Reuters.com 14 Apr 10 News agencies Agence France-Press, Associated Press, Getty Images and Reuters said on Wednesday they would boycott a press conference announcing the line-up at this year's Cannes film festival due to a dispute over video access. The briefing, to be held in Paris on Thursday, is the most important ahead of the May 12-23 event, the world's largest film festival. The new limitations are linked to a contract between the Cannes film festival and French broadcaster Canal Plus and pay-TV service Orange.

Photo Agencies Seeing Red Over Cannes Festival Deal  abcnews 09 Apr 10 Agencies are crying foul over the Cannes film festival's exclusive deal with French broadcasters that may cause restrictions on video coverage. Festival organizers informed several of the agencies that  severe restrictions on access to red carpets and news conferences might prevent them from providing their usual coverage. Reuters, AFP, Getty TV and AP TV News are in negotiations with festival authorities to ensure comprehensive coverage for their clients across the globe. These restrictions stem from deals signed with Canal Plus and Orange for exclusive video coverage of the red carpets and other official events. Rebecca Leffler / Hollywood Reporter.

Ridley Scott epic Robin Hood to open Cannes Film Festival  Earth Times 26 Mar 10 British director Ridley Scott's epic Robin Hood has been chosen to open this year's Cannes Film Festival, organizers of the event said Friday. The film stars Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett and will be screened at Cannes on May 12. It will be released in theatres in France on the same day, and will hit the screens worldwide two days later. The 72-year-old Scott was previously represented at the Cannes festival with his 1977 film The Duellists, which received an award for Best First Work, and the ground-breaking road movie Thelma and Louise, which was presented out of competition in 1991. Scott is perhaps best known for two classic science fiction films, Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982). He has had three Oscar nominations for Best Director. The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 12 to May 23. DPA.

Stella Artois 4% backs Cannes Film Festival sponsorship with media campaign  talkingretail.com 19 Mar 10 Stella Artois is launching a global advertising and social media campaign to support its sponsorship of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, strengthening the brand's ties with cinema, the glamorous French Riviera and further developing the story of the legendary character at the heart of its program, Jacques d'Azur, the 'King of Cannes'. The online experience on www.stellaartois.com centers around 60-second web films extolling the fabulousness of D'Azur's Cannes lifestyle and will run across social networks including Twitter, Flickr and Facebook. Online video content will deepen consumer's engagement with the brand and help them become part of the Jacques D'Azur story. Alexander Lambrecht, global marketing manager, Stella Artois said: "New media is changing the way consumers discover, create and share information.