Cannes Film Festival

Held annually at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, the Cannes Film Festival is the world’s best-known and most prestigious film festival. The event was conceived in 1946 to celebrate the art of cinema, and quickly established itself as an important showcase for European films. Today, the 12-day festival welcomes entries from all countries and genres.

The festival is organized into various sections. The most famous of these is the “Official Selection”, where films compete in a series of award categories. The coveted prize for the best film of the festival is named the Palme d’Or, or “Golden Palm”. The winner is selected by a jury from a shortlist of 20 entries, all of which are projected in the famous Théâtre Lumière. Previous Palme d’Or winners include iconic movies such as Taxi DriverPulp Fiction and The Pianist.

Theatre Luminaire

The Théâtre Lumière screens each of the movies nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or award.

A wide variety of films will also be shown as part of the festival’s various non-competitive programs, each of which are dedicated to highlighting different aspects of cinema. Tous les Cinémas du Monde showcases the vitality and diversity of world cinema, whilst Director’s Fortnight focuses on the latest avant-garde and experimental films. Cannes Classics presents popular works from the past using brand new or restored prints. Guests can even enjoy watching movies on the scenic Macé beach, at the Cinéma de la Plage.

Running in tandem to the screenings and awards is the Marché du Film, one of the most important events on the global film industry’s calendar. This business counterpart of the festival serves as a meeting point for over 12,000 professionals, including around 3,200 producers, 1,200 sales agents, 1,750 buyers and 800 festival organizers.

Attendance at Cannes is strictly by invitation only. The festival is frequented by many famous movie stars and celebrities, and is a popular platform for producers to launch new films. Here they will attempt to sell their works to distributors, who travel from all over the world for this key industry gathering.

This year, the festival is celebrating its 70th anniversary. Spanish film director and screenwriter Pedro Almodóvar has been selected as the president of the jury, while the opening and closing ceremonies will be hosted by Italian actress Monica Bellucci.

The Cannes Film Festival takes place from May 17 – 28, 2017. For all the latest news on this fascinating event, please visit the official website.

Flying to the Cannes Film Festival

The preferred airports for traveling to the Cannes Film Festival are Cannes–Mandelieu Airport (IATA: CEQ, ICAO: LFMD) and Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (IATA: NCE, ICAO: LFMN). Both function as Airports of Entry (AOE), and offer a full range of General Aviation (GA) support services. LFMD is the closest option to the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, at just 6km along the coast. LFMN is located around 26km northeast of the venue.

Cannes–Mandelieu Airport

LFMD is a regional airport dedicated to private aviation. The airport operates from 08:00 local time up until 30 minutes past sunset, seven days a week. It is not possible to arrange any overtime outside of these hours. The runway is 5,282 feet long, and can accommodate aircraft with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 35 tons (around the size of a Gulfstream G450). Customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) takes only 5-10 minutes to clear. It is important to consider that pilots must receive a mandatory briefing regarding the airport approach before operating to LFMD, otherwise the operator could face hefty fines. For further information on this requirement, please click here.

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport

LFMN is a 24-hour Airport of Entry (AoE), and features a dedicated general aviation terminal. The runway is 9,711 feet long. CIQ clearance takes place within the GA Terminal up until 20:00 local time. After 20:00, passengers and crew are normally cleared within the main terminal. Note that during the summer months, the GA terminal usually closes at 21:00 local time.

Slots and PPR

Airport slots are mandatory at both LFMN and LFMD. During the Film Festival Period, it is vital to request slots as early as possible. Once slots have been approved, Prior Permission Required (PPR) for parking is approved simultaneously. The same confirmation number applies for both, and this should be included in the remarks section of your flight plan. Slot deviations of +/- 10 minutes (LFMN) and +10/-5 minutes (LFMD) apply. Any deviations may result in departure without PPR. For such cases, operators will be asked to justify why they missed their allocated slot, and can receive a fine of up to 20,000 Euros. For this reason, it is important to keep within the approved schedule.

Aircraft Parking

There are no maximum lengths of stay applied at either airport, as these are based on the PPR approval for the specific flight. However please note that without a parking approval, the maximum time on the ground is limited to three hours at both airports. At LFMN, the same fuel trucks service both GA and scheduled commercial flight operations. This can result in delays of up to 60 minutes, particularly during busy periods.

Accommodation

Hotel accommodation is always in high demand during the Cannes Film Festival. The most popular five-star properties such as the InterContinental, the JW Marriott, and the iconic Hôtel Martinez usually sell out months in advance. It is therefore essential to arrange accommodation as early as possible. Be aware also that room rates will be considerably more expensive during the festival period, with four-star properties charging between 300 – 500 Euros per night. Jetex has the connections necessary to secure the best available accommodation at highly competitive rates. Contact our travel team today to discuss your requirements.

Arrange your Trip with Jetex

Traveling to Cannes? Arrange your trip with Jetex! May is an exceptionally busy month at this destination, due to the high volume of GA traffic heading to the Film Festival, and also the Monaco Grand Prix (which takes place from 25 – 28 May). There will be a lot of competition for the best available slot times, aircraft parking, accommodation, and ground transfers. In order to arrange a smooth and stress-free trip, you need the support of a dependable partner.

Jetex is on standby 24/7 to process any request. Our dedicated operations staff will take care of all necessary permits and permissions, fuel uplifts and ground handling arrangements.

Beyond the airport, our concierge team can offer you the best available rates at top five-star hotels, arrange transportation and organize exclusive fine dining experiences.

For further details, please contact us today on +971 4 212 4000 or email info@jetex.com.