Day one – let battle commence.

Well, the 65th Cannes film Festival kicked off today in glorious sunshine. Didn’t I use that line yesterday. We were all up early, bright eyed and bushy tailed, with our ties on straight and our shoes so shiny we could see our faces in them. Yeah, if you believe that you believe anything.

First thing, Paul and Alan headed off to the Palais de Festival. It was their annual trawl of the film market and the film sales agents. I attended the press conference for Rise of the Guardians. A very un-FrightFesty start to Cannes, but in Cannes you never turn down a free breakfast. I saw 20 min of mostly finished 3D footage, which I have to say looked very good. The hook from me to attend this, apart from the afore mentioned free breakfast, was this was FrightFest friend Guillermo Del Toros’ 1st foray into animation as a producer. I wanted to see what it would look like. There were heaps of his signature moments and you can see his influence in the design of the characters, but it is very much Del Toro lite.

The press conference that followed attended by the director Peter Ramsey and stars Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin and Isla Fisher was hilarious. I had never appreciated how funny Alex Baldwin can be. Press conferences can be very dry. Sometimes participants take themselves far too seriously. This one wasn't. Mr. Baldwin took over and had the audience of jetlagged journalists eating out of his hand. I felt sorry for everyone else on the stage, they didn’t get a look in. When the questions started coming from the journalists in the hall, all but two were for him. The lady who was moderating the Q&A was ineffectual. Even I know when I'm hosting events on stage at FrightFest, which according to Paul and Alan I’m crap at, you try your best to include everybody. Anyway, it was a fun way to get things started.

By the way, see the picture above. What do you think of our Harry Worth hats? Before you ask, he was a 1960s TV comedian. Everybody is wearing them in Cannes this year.

No films to talk about, as there was nothing on today that we haven’t seen or wanted to see. We did have a marathon submission watching night on Monday. We found two gems, which you will be seeing in August.

Two dates for your Diary. On June 8 we will be announcing the opening closing films and on June 29 we will be announcing the full line up for Frightfest the 13th. Both announcements will be at 3 pm. Hopefully the web site won’t crash this year.

As for brainless shenanigans, sorry Stuart, opening night was by the standard of years past very tame. It was like watching the Tele Tubbies. Maybe we have finally grown up..... Yeh, like that's going to happen.

Paul will be reporting back on day two tomorrow.

Ian.

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