It’s the last day of the official Cannes Film Festival 2018, the sun is shining and we are all shattered. The morning has been spent typing up reviews, consuming our daily dose of baguettes & ice cream, and catching the last few screenings of the day. The festival is not winding down, with the influx of student writers keeping the atmosphere alive, and the excitement is building for the Closing Ceremony and the announcement of the Palm d’Or winner. It’s been a close year, with many exceptionally visually stunning films and bold narratives. Some films made us weep, some had us cheering at the political suggestions and crude humour, and others we genuinely didn’t have the foggiest what was happening, try as we might.

We found out that we needed to find a good balance of screenings, as an 11.30pm end and 8.30am start didn’t really match up well and required the consumption of about 4 espresso capsules. As an accredited press member, Juanita and I certainly took advantage of the free coffee bar on more than one occasion, which was a common hunting ground for most of the press. We also had access to the Marche du Film section, and the short film corner was ideal for networking and had a lounge space to take a quick breather. During this, we met with an american producer of a short film and attended a “Meet the Directors” press conference with all of the short films in competition. It was the ideal chance to refine our interview questions, getting used to jostling for a chance to talk to someone and pick up some great additional content.

During the middle of the week, we attended the Cinema de la Plage for LE GRAND BAL, which was perfect for having a glass of wine and a laugh while the sea lapped the shore close by. The film was not entirely to everyone’s taste, however, we had the wonderful entertainment of watching the whole beach conduct one of the dances. We also made a daring escape from a piano bar, after not entirely finding it to our tastes, and decided to cut our losses rather than mooching around on the chaise longue with an overpriced glass of wine looking as miserable as everyone else. Strutting out of there in our trainers and jeans was incredibly humouring, and there was no way any of us was going to wear heels every day. Getting into parties during the festival either requires a secret invitation, knowing someone who already has access or exceptionally good bragging. There were always great, buzzing beach bars open and Irish pubs aplenty, including the amusement of one of a group of girls trying to piggyback race in ballgowns and heels.

We found more beautiful spots around Rue Hoshe for afternoon snacks and cooling gelato when the French heat just became too much. Outside the Soixantième provided the ideal opportunity to film the cast of BURNING, and Terry Gilliam, plus a walk around the international village to see what each country had on offer film-wise. The sheer beauty of the Riviera made it the ideal location to stay in, as there’s shops aplenty, a short walk to the Palais and just a good excuse to go for an afternoon wander. We will fill you in on the weekend soon!