This year’s Cannes Film Festival takes place from May 15 – 26. Every year, France’s epic movie party brings celebrities from all over the world to preview unreleased films. If you make it at Cannes, you’ll make it in theaters. Of course, this prestigious affair is by invite only, so regular folks like us have to find out about it in the news.
Festival de Cannes – Official is the sanctioned app of the entire event. You can read news about attendees, see photos of the daily events, watch trailers of films that will be presented at the festival, and much more. If you aren’t elite enough to make it to Cannes, you can pretend like you are thanks to this comprehensive app…
Design
The app’s basic design is classic and elegant. The categories are displayed as a pop out window with individual sections viewable on a grid. To move between different categories, either tap the tab at the top of the screen or swipe from left to right. When you find a section that you want to go to, tap its image.
There are six different categories. Each one offers a plethora of articles, pictures, videos, and more. When you tap on an article, the background will change to feature the main image and another window will pop out. A menu will appear on the left side of the screen so that you can go back to the previous window.
You can share news with others through Facebook and Twitter, or send it directly through email. Registered members of the press have access to additional content in the “Press Zone,” (even in this free app, we are reminded of how unimportant we are).
App Use
In the News section, read about press conferences from attending celebrities, like Jerry Lewis and Lynne Ramsay. Watch as breaking news gets added regularly. If you’ve missed a day, check out the archived news to read up on previous day’s events. You can tap on a specific day of the festival to find out more.
In the Selection section, find out who this year’s jury is and read their bios, see a list of films that are being presented at the festival, and find out what each award is for. On May 26, see the complete list of award winners for the 2013 Festival de Cannes.
In the Multimedia section, see trailers for each movie that will be previewed at the festival, watch video clips of red carpet walks, Q&A conferences with stars, and view daily pictures of events that take place. You can also listen to audio tracks of recent press conferences with actors and filmmakers.
In the Professional section, you can enter your registered press credentials to access additional information that the rest of us can’t see. You can also view a map of Cannes and see were each event is being presented, as well as nearby parking, transportation, hotels, and more. If you have already purchased your tickets, you can access the online ticket office for information about your reservation. The Practical Guide offers information about public transportation and cab fares, tips on getting round the Festival zone, and other helpful hints for getting the most out of the affair. The interactive program offers detailed information about when and where movies will be screened, as well as a synopsis and a map of the theater seats.
The Archives section lets users see photos and videos of the previous two Cannes Festivals. You can see the list of winners for that year’s awards, view the official selection, read about the jury, and find out about the events that took place during that year.
This app was created in collaboration with Orange, who is the official telecoms and new media partner of the Cannes Film Festival. In the Orange section, you can watch TV Festival de Cannes, listen to the official sound track, and find out more about local media coverage of the event.
The Good
If you are a film buff, this is a comprehensive app for a festival that most people will never have the chance to go to. It is full of interesting information, stunning photos, and entertaining media clips of the daily events at the World’s most esteemed film event. You’ll feel like you are at this year’s Cannes Film Festival by the time you get through all of the information.
The Bad
This is a great application with no real downside. The only thing that you could consider “bad” about it is that it just reminds you that you can’t be there in person.
Value
You can download this app for free and it is filled with ample information on the daily goings-on at the Cannes Film Festival. You will be able to spend hours looking at pictures, watching movie trailers, and reading up on celebrities in attendance. There is no reason not to have this app on your device.
Conclusion
Film buffs that have always wished they could attend the Cannes Film Festival will be able to experience the entire event with daily and hourly updates. If you want to know what this year’s international hit films will be, you can be ahead of the curve by finding out the winners on the last day of the festival. Festival de Cannes – Official is available for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Download it for free in the App Store today.