Julianne Moore and Emma Watson were among the first to arrive for the glitzy Cannes Film Festival that kicks off on Wednesday. Directors Baz Luhrmann and Steven Spielberg, Great Gatsby star Carey Mulligan and Lana del Rey have also touched down in Nice for the prestigious event, which turns the city into Tinseltown with the elite of the film world whirling into the French Riviera. Other celebrities expected to arrive shortly are Rihanna, Kelly Osbourne, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Ryan Gosling, Michael Douglas and Matt Damon.
Oscar-nominated actress Julianne was seen arriving at the luxury Hotel Martinez on the exclusive Boulevard de la Croisette – a favourite with A-list Cannes guests – and enjoying spectacular sea views of the Bay of Cannes from her balcony.Classy Cannes parties are expected to include Calvin Klein and IFP's Women in Film bash for guests including Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara, Carey Mulligan and Naomie Harris. A series of dinners will also be held with guestlists boasting names such as Robert De Niro, Tobey Maguire, Cate Blanchett, Naomi Watts, Kevin Spacey, Ewan MacGregor and Bradley Cooper. Others making the exclusive scene include Marion Cottillard, Orlando Bloom, Robert Redford, Jane Fonda and Tilda Swinton.
The red carpet has been rolled out in the last of the preparations for the glamorous festival which will start with a splash on Wednesday night with the premiere of Baz Luhrmann's latest big screen creation The Great Gatsby. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, Baz Luhrmann's 3D version of The Great Gatsby will provide a lavish throwback to the Roaring Twenties for the world's biggest cinema showcase. Nicole Kidman and film director Ang Lee have been named as jury members, with director Steven Spielberg heading up the panel.
Films in the running for the coveted Palme D'Or for best picture – to be awarded on the final day by the jury – include Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, Roman Polanksi's French-language film La Venus a la Fourrure as well as the latest film from the Coen brothers, Inside Llewyn Davis. Also being considered for the prestigious award is Only God Forgives, a crime thriller set in the Bangkok underworld. Ryan Gosling plays the lead, teaming up with his Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn.Behind the scenes of the 66th Cannes Film Festival, up to 40,000 film professionals will be seeking to buy and sell the next box office hit at the most important film event of the year.This year's decoration includes retro posters of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in a romantic embrace. They were first honoured by Cannes in 1958, the year they married.