Hollywood A-listers, French film stars and world cinema auteurs are descending on the French Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival. Now in its 69th year, the festival is the most dazzling events in the entertainment calendar.
Stars including George Clooney, Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Julia Roberts and Gérard Depardieu are due to climb the famous red-carpeted steps outside the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, Cannes' main movie venue. Thousands of star-spotters will throng the boutique-lined Boulevard de la Croisette, one of Europe's glitziest seafront promenades. Looking out to sea, the super-yachts on display would no doubt get their fair share of attention as well.
In this gallery, IBTimes UK presents photographs of glamorous stars at the festival during the golden age of cinema.
1954: French actress Edwige Feuillere dines on board the Mistral train on her way from Lyon to Cannes for the film festivalGetty1956: Blonde bombshell Diana Dors poses at Cannes Film FestivalGetty1956: Aspiring starlet Brigitte Bardot runs barefoot along the beach in CannesGetty1956: Brigitte Bardot watches Pablo Picasso at work in his studio in Vallauris during the Cannes Film FestivalGetty1958: Photographers surround Sophia Loren as she arrives at the Cannes Film Festival with her husband Carlo PontiGetty1959: Sophia Loren poses on the window ledge of her hotel in Cannes, promoting the film Nella città l'inferno (aka Caged), directed by Renato CastellaniGetty1959: French actress Michèle Mercier relaxes during the Cannes Film FestivalGetty1960: Federico Fellini, holding the Palme d'Or, awarded unanimously for his film La Dolce Vita, poses with fellow winners Melina Mercouri and Jeanne MoreauGetty1961: Alain Delon signs autographs for young fans in Cannes during the film festivalGetty1962: Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood pose for photographers at the Cannes Film FestivalGetty1962: Alain Delon, Sophia Loren and Romy Schneider arrive at the Palais des Festivals et des CongrèsAFP1963: Christine Keeler attends the Cannes Film Festival. The following month, British Secretary of State for War John Profumo resigned over his affair with KeelerGetty1965: Sean Connery is driven down the Croisette in an open-topped carGetty1965: Ursula Andress is mobbed by members of the mediaGetty1965: Yves Montand poses on board his yacht at CannesGetty1966: French actress Catherine Deneuve attends the Cannes Film Festival with David Bailey (right)Getty1967: Vanessa Redgrave attends the premier of Blow Up with her partner, Italian actor Franco Nero. They eventually married in 2006Getty1971: Keith Richards escorts his partner, actress Anita Pallenberg and their two children to a screening of Rolling Stones concert film Gimme ShelterGetty1972: Francesca Annis and Jon Finch pose with Roman Polanski at the Cannes Film FestivalGetty1972: Alfred Hitchcock poses on a boat during the Cannes Film FestivalGetty1973: Marcello Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Marco Ferreri and Andréa Ferréol pose together after the crowd booed at the screening of Ferreri's controversial film La Grande BouffeGetty1974: Jack Nicholson poses in a bathrobe by the pool outside his hotel during the Cannes Film FestivalGetty1974: Jane Birkin goes out on a pedalo during the 28th Cannes Film FestivalAFP1974: Jean-Paul Belmondo smiles for the camera during the Cannes Film FestivalAFP1977: Arnold Schwarzenegger promotes bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron during the 38th Cannes Film FestivalAFP
