Film festivals not only provide filmmakers with the opportunity to exhibit their artistic talents to the world, they also provide celebrities with the perfect excuse to come out and play.
Check out some of the world’s most prestigious film festivals:
Cannes
Perhaps the most prestigious of all film festivals, most Hollywood A-Listers travel to this tiny corner in the south of France to be seen at some seriously extravagant parties over a few hectic days in May.
Venice
The oldest film festival in the world is still running and is arguably the most chic. Every year, the International Venice Film Festival sees the canals fill with boats laden with celebrities. The event is part of the Venice Biennale contemporary art festival.
Berlin
The Berlinale is renowned for its showcase of world films, some of which are typically more alternative than those found at the Venice or Cannes film festivals. The festival celebrated its 60th anniversary this year and attracts large audience numbers.
Edinburgh
The Edinburgh Film Festival bravely moved from the city’s main festival slot in August to stand alone in June 2008 and hasn’t looked back. The Trailblazer’s programme features up-and-coming UK filmmakers.
Toronto
Celebrity-watchers have seen Toronto’s film festival grow larger over the past few years. Both Hollywood and British stars flock to the red carpets and after-parties and the event now even rivals Venice and Berlin. It also benefits from pre-Oscar hype.
Sundance
This festival, set in the Utah desert, celebrates independent film in particular, but is also attracting an increasing presence from major studios on the hunt for fresh talent. Actor Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute is behind the event which offers a multitude of world premieres.
Marrakech
This fledgling festival is now in its tenth year. It has active royal patronage – Morocco’s King Mohammed VI is a true film buff. Some screenings take place in the atmospheric ruins of the 16th-century El Badi Palace inside the medina.
London
Despite being a smaller event with only around 390 screenings compared to the 1000 or so at Cannes, the London Film Festival, organised by the British Film Institute, is the UK’s largest public film event, and is now in its 54th year.
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