Every year, for 12 days in May, the small city of Cannes in southern France turns into a meeting place for cinema's players, would-be players and the people who report on them. In the world of film, the Festival de Cannes — known to many of us as the Cannes Film Festival — is the largest international showcase of cinematic art. In the world of the yet-to-bediscovered filmmaker, the Cannes Film Festival is a godsend

With the 71st season about to get underway, the international Festival de Cannes is one of the world's most widely publicized events and certainly the most important film festival in terms of worldwide impact

The Festival de Cannes has remained faithful to its founding purpose: to draw attention to and raise the profile of films, with the aim of contributing towards the development of cinema, boosting the film industry worldwide and celebrating cinema at an international level.

The Festival is very keen to discover new talent and act as a springboard for creation. The most important task is performed by the team’s ‘talent scouts’ who travel the world and scour film festivals each season to unearth the most promising directors. As the Festival has developed over the years, a number of initiatives designed to promote the talents of the future have already been introduced: the Caméra d’or is awarded to the best film presented either in the Official Selection, during Directors´ Fortnight or during the Semaine de la Critique, while the Cinéfondation presents film school works and organises the Residence and the Workshop. The development of 'Cannes Short Films' is another step in this direction. Together, these initiatives enable us to act as an observatory for the trends shaping the cinema of the future.

A film’s success and its director’s reputation depend above all on how it is received in cinemas. Despite being an event for film professionals only, the Festival is mindful of this reality and is taking steps to improve the way it reaches film enthusiasts.

Since 2011, the opening film has been released in French cinemas on the same day as its screening at Cannes and the opening ceremony has been broadcast in cinemas enabling audiences to experience the Festival launch night live.

At Cannes, the Cinéma de la Plage, an outdoor cinema, screens a different film each night - and, since 2010, even the occasional world première – as part of its theme-based programme. These open-air screenings are open to everyone and represent a strong link with the general public.

The secret of its lasting success is maintaining a solid connection with its past, the Festival is very ready to take on board new and original concepts. Over the years, it has evolved, all the while seeking to preserve its core values: a passion for cinema, the discovery of new talent, and the bringing together of professionals and journalists from around the world with the aim of contributing to the creation and distribution of films.

During every new edition, projects are conceived, experiences are shared and different cultures are discovered: it is this dynamism that makes the Festival de Cannes a true reflection of its time. The Festival is a key event on a global scale. We are constantly endeavouring to help our selected works benefit from this image, by supporting the promotion of directors and their films in regions of the world where they have less prestige than in France. For example, we are already involved in Buenos Aires in 'La Semana de Cine del Festival de Cannes' and with the 'Cannes Films in Bucharest' programme. At the same time, the smallest actions undertaken in Cannes itself can turn into major turning points further down the line, and it's by constantly asking ourselves questions about the various aspects of the event that we can best prepare for the future