Cannes 2017: From Indian celebs to screenings, all you need to know about the film festival's 70th edition

The 70th Cannes Film Festival starts on 17 May 2017, and there is much to look forward to, from the lineup of films that will be screened, to the appearances and looks Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities. Here is the complete guide to this year’s cinematic extravaganza which will unfold at the French Riviera: [caption id=“attachment_3449762” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Images from Firstpost and Facebook[/caption] Films made in India that are a part of Cannes 2017 Afternoon Clouds directed by Payal Kapadia, a third-year film direction course student of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), has been invited to participate in the Cinefondation selection of the festival. This is the first time that an FTII film has been selected for participation in the Cinefondation. Kapadia told PTI that her film Afternoon Clouds  is actually an exercise at FTII, which had to be done as a part of A final second-year project. The trailer of Priyanka Chopra’s Sikkimese production Pahuna will be screened at the festival. “We are dealing with issues like gender bias, the idea of currency… Money is money, but there is a currency divide, impact of older people on children, our fear of the unknown,” said the director of Pahuna, Paakhi A. Tyrewala, when asked about the film. The trailer of Indian chef Vikas Khanna’s Buried Seeds will be screened at Cannes this year. It tells the story of his immigrant past and the obstacles he had to face in his journey. The full-length docu-drama, directed by award-winning Russian filmmaker Andrei Severny, is, in Khanna’s words, “a celebration of a journey of an ordinary man”. Last year, his documentary  Kitchens of Gratitude, which is based on the belief of the chef that food has the power to transcend all divisions, premiered at the film festival. Rima Das’ work-in-progress, Village Rockstars, an entirely “self-made” film, is in Marche du Film (Cannes Film Market) by virtue of being one of four titles selected by the Hong Kong-Asian Film Financing Forum (HAF) for its ‘Goes to Cannes’ programme. Shot in real settings with children of Rima’s own village, Village Rockstars revolves around Dhunu, a free-spirited 10-year-old girl who dreams of owning and playing a guitar. Noteworthy international films that will be screened French film Les fantômes d’Ismaël (Ismael’s Ghosts in English) has been picked as the opening film of the 70th edition of Cannes Film Festival. The category — Un Certain Regard — will kick off with Mathieu Amalric’s Barbara, a biopic of the mono-monikered French chanteuse. In the category — In Competition — American directors Sofia Coppola (The Beguiled), Noah Baumbach (The Meyerowitz Stories), and Todd Haynes (Wonderstruck) are competing with each other. The line-up in the above category also includes works from filmmakers like Michael Haneke (Happy End), Andrey Zvyagintsev (Loveless) and Hong Sangsoo — who will have two films — The Day After and Isabelle Huppert-starrer Claire’s Camera. English-language entries from Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos and South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho, whose Okja stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Tilda Swinton, are also part of the line-up. Indian celebrities to look out for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who first went to the Cannes Film Festival with Devdas back in 2002, will be presenting the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film again at the upcoming 70th edition of the fest. The actress will be going to the fest in the capacity of cosmetic brand L’Oreal Paris brand ambassador. She will be presenting the film on 20 May as part of the L’Oréal Paris Open Air Cinema. “We attended the festival not just as artistes but as proud representatives of Indian cinema, and showcasing a film that meant so much to us. The kind of reception we got for the movie was truly overwhelming and I will cherish it all my life,” said Rai, while recounting her first experience at Cannes. She will be walking the red carpet on 19-20 May. Sonam Kapoor and Deepika Padukone will also attend the film fest. While Aishwarya and Sonam started their Cannes journey in 2002 and 2011, respectively, this will be Deepika’s debut appearance at the star-studded movie carnival. Kapoor and Padukone too will be representing L’Oréal alongside Julianne Moore and Eva Longoria. “I will always represent India at the red carpet. So you will see that. Even if I am not wearing an Indian designer, I will include Indian designs in some way. I will always do something in some way to represent India. This is my eighth year at Cannes and I am super proud to be representing my country in such a way. I wish, one day, I go there to represent a film too,” Kapoor said. She will walk the red carpet on 21 and 22 May. “We have started planning. There is too much focus on clothes. It should be fun. As a woman, we enjoy being ready and all of that. Clothes are exciting but there is more to it. It is something that my team is working on,” Padukone said to media persons. The Padmavati actress will be walking the red carpet on 17 and 18 May. She also posted pictures of her time in the French Riviera before the event starts.

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Oscar winning composer AR Rahman will walk the red carpet with the lead cast, director and producers of trilingual magnum opus Sangamithra. Rahman will be seen walking the red carpet of the opening night, that is, 18 May. About his Cannes outing this year, Rahman said in a statement: “I’m very excited working on this ambitious project ‘Sangamithra’. I am looking forward to joining the team at Cannes.” Shruti Haasan too will be at Cannes making her debut at the film festival with _Sangamithra. “_We know that this is a story which will find a great connect with national and international viewers and we are so happy to have them as part of our journey right from the beginning,” she was quoted saying in an interview. (With inputs from IANS and PTI)