FRA9 FILE · French cinema
Cannes Film Festival guide: selection, juries, accreditation and public access
How the Festival’s sections work, who chooses what, what is for professionals and what the public can actually attend.
How the Festival’s sections work, who chooses what, what is for professionals and what the public can actually attend.
Five doors into Cannes
One city, several festivals at once
The Official Selection includes Competition, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Première, Out of Competition, Midnight and Special Screenings. Cannes Classics handles heritage, La Cinef film-school work and the Immersive Competition new formats. Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week are parallel selections run by separate organisations.
Who selects and who awards?
The selection team builds the programme; juries then judge it. The feature-film jury awards the Palme d’Or and principal Competition prizes. Un Certain Regard, shorts/La Cinef and the Caméra d’Or have separate juries. The Caméra d’Or may reward a debut drawn from several different selections.
Festival and Marché du Film
The Festival presents and awards films; the Marché du Film runs the international business of cinema through sales, co-production, finance, national pavilions and meetings. A market accreditation does not make every screening public: badge categories have different rights and booking windows.
Can you attend without an invitation?
Yes, but not as at a normal multiplex. Cinéma de la Plage offers public screenings, while Cannes Cinéphiles and city programmes create other routes in. Gala screenings at the Grand Théâtre Lumière require the correct badge, booking or invitation. Never buy a supposedly guaranteed invitation from an informal seller.
Accreditation, booking and dress
Industry professionals, press, film students and cinephiles follow different application paths. Use the exact category and submit consistent evidence. Once approved, reserve through the channel attached to the badge. Follow the published dress code for galas; for normal screenings, choose polished but comfortable clothes.
Planning Cannes during the Festival
Book accommodation and rail well before May, then build each day around one priority screening. The Palais, Old Port, Croisette and station are close, but security and queues change real travel time. Carry a power bank, ID, badge and offline confirmations.
Read next
.jpg?width=1800)
