61st Cannes Film Festival (14 - 25 MAY 2008) creates huge interest in India. This year too a big delegation from the Indian film industry will camp in Cannes.
For the 6th consecutive year, the Confederation of Indian Industry will head for Cannes with the largest delegation.
Jag Mundhra will screen his 'Shoot on Sight' based on Britain's 7/7 bombings and Islamic extremism. The film is being taken to Cannes in May for market screenings to attract buyers around the world, although it is not in the festival programme. 'Shoot on Sight' features The Bourne Supremacy actor Brian Cox, East is East star Om Puri, Heat and Dust starGreta Scacchi, Sadie Frost and Naseeruddin Shah in the lead role.
The Official Selection consists of about twenty features in Competition, about twenty films selected at Un Certain Regard, films Out of Competition or in Special screenings, a programme of shorts in Competition and the school films of the Cinéfondation.
Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman starrer Guide (1960), directed by Vijay Anand, has been invited for a screening at the Cannes Film festival in the classic section of the world. Guide had also been chosen as India's official entry to the Oscars in 1964. Nostalgia for all Indians!
Official Selection
The detail of the Official Selection will be availiable on-line one week before the opening ceremony of the event.
n Competition: each year, about twenty features are selected to be in Competition and in the running for the Palme d'Or. They make up the main part of the Official Selection which is screened at the Grand Theatre Lumière.
Un Certain Regard: the Official Selection "Un Certain Regard" screens some twenty features hailing from cinematic cultures near and far – by young filmmakers and seasoned masters alike.
Out of Competiton: these films, screened in the Grand Théâtre Lumière, are not competing for the Palme d'Or.
Special screenings: the selection committee has chosen for these films an environment specially adapted to their particular identity.
Cinéfondation: created in 1998 and dedicated to the search for new filmmaking talent, the Cinéfondation presents about fifteen shorts and medium-length motion pictures from film schools the world over.
Short films: each year, about fifteen international shorts compete for the short film Palme d'Or.
Juries
Prior to the beginning of each event, the Festival’s board of directors appoints four juries who hold sole responsibility for choosing which films will receive the blessing of a Cannes award. Jurors are chosen from a wide range of international artists, based on their body of work and respect from their peers.
The detail of the juries will be availiable on-line one week before the opening ceremony of the event.
The feature films Jury: is an international official jury comprised of a President and various film personalities (artists, directors, actors, writers, intellectuals...). It determines the prizes for the features in Competition, and awards them during the closing ceremony with the followings: Palme d'Or, Grand Prix, Best Director's Award, Jury Prize, Best Screenplay Award, Best Actress Award, Best Actor Award.
The Cinéfondation and short films Jury: is an international official jury comprised of a President and four film personalities. It awards the short film Palme d'Or as well as the prizes for the three best films of the Cinéfondation.
The Un Certain Regard Jury: is comprised of a President, journalists and industry professionals. It awards the Un Certain Regard Prize for best film and can, moreover, honour two other films.
The Camera d’Or Jury: Since 1978, an independent Jury awards the Caméra d'or Prize to the best first film in any selections (Official Selection, Directors’ Fortnight, International Critics’ Week). This jury is comprised of a President, appointed by the Festival's Board of Directors, as well as film directors, technicians and French and international critics, appointed by their respective professional organizations.