Anyone for a Film Festival?: Cannes, Venice, New York, Miami--The Cinema Never Sleeps

The first international film festival was held in Venice in 1932. Its success, both in its artistic and touristic aspects, led other cities and governments to pay heed to this new form of publicity. The original date for the first Cannes festival was September 3, 1939 - thanks to World War II, it was postponed until 1946. The Cannes festival grew up fast - what was originally a French cultural exposition soon became the key event of the year's film calendar. Just as an Oscar or two will add to the box office appeal of an American film in this country, a prize at Cannes will add to a film's marketability - in Europe, at least. Regrettably, Cannes has recently become something of a monstrous bazaar - the dumping ground for hundreds of trashy movies, where the art of selling is more important than the art of filmmaking.