This year's Festival de Cannes will he held May 17 though May
28.
Attending the Festival
Unless you are an accredited professional in the film industry (or
member of the press) entrance to screenings and official venues
will be closed to you. These events are strictly guarded, and
hotels reserve their accommodations for the thousands of film critics, actors,
directors and other experts in the industry. As a basic tourist, the most
you can do is
watch from the sidelines, but what a view and great
entertainment! Between star-gazing at movie stars and strolling Cannes' beautiful beaches, the
festival is sure to delight as a sight-seeing experience.
For those who simply must see a film at the festival, there are a few
organizations that allocate a small number of tickets to the public (the
International Critics' Week and Directors' Fortnight sidebars).
Educational groups and French film enthusiasts can also gain some access via the
Cannes Cinéphiles programme. If you are interested, you should
contact these organizations at least a year or two in advance to try and claim
your spot. Otherwise, you may be able to catch a Cinéma de la Plage
(Film on the Beach), which is a screening category open to the public.
Halloween originated among the Celts in Ireland, Britain and (yes!)
France
as a pagan Celtic harvest festival. Although other nations continued to observe
Halloween throughout the centuries, the original pagan traditions of the
Brittany region faded into obscurity long ago. Until recently, the mention
of Halloween in Paris was quite rare. Parisian children may have
heard of the holiday through foreign visitors or expatriates, but for the most part,
they never carved pumpkins, dressed up in ghoulish costumes or
went 'trick or treating'. 
