CANNES, France (AP) — Hollywood royalty is back at the Cannes Film Festival for its annual celebration of cinema along the French Riviera.
Premieres bring an elegant parade of stars nightly and moments that become indelible Cannes images, whether it’s Francis Ford Coppola’s return to the Palais des Festivals or French actor Judith Godrèche and other actors posing with their hands over their mouths to draw attention to France’s burgeoning #MeToo movement.
There’s time for levity, too, like Anya Taylor-Joy saluting her “Furiosa” director, George Miller, or the arrival of Messi, the canine “Anatomy of a Fall” star who performed tricks for photographers and served as a bridge to last year’s standout festival.
Daytime photocalls can become playgrounds for stars and photographers alike, like when Nic Cage tossed his hat while promoting “The Surfer.” (Hats have been a go-to accessory this year, worn by Coppola and Giancarlo Esposito at the “Megalopolis” premiere; Meryl Streep, an honorary Palme d’Or recipient, opted for one for her photocall.)
Filmmakers praise Cannes for the way it celebrates films and the global platform it provides. So it’s only fitting that Coppola returned, 45 years after his “Apocalypse Now” swept through the festival, and so did Paul Schrader, who wrote the 1976 Palme d’or Or winner “Taxi Driver.”
Miller, too, has been a vocal fan of the Cannes festival since serving as a juror and has used it to launch several films.
“I got addicted it to simply because it’s like film camp,” he says. “It’s kind of optimal cinema, really.”
And there’s still another week to go.
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