Can You Believe It? Fascinating Cannes Film Festival Trivia

Renee Hanlon
·4 min read

If you've never heard of a film festival, it's an event where filmmakers gather together to show their creations for the year. One of the most famous is the annual Cannes Film Festival—and it is happening this May 16-27! As the name suggests, it is held in Cannes, France, and is one of the largest media events in the world. You may be wondering what this festival actually is and what makes it so famous. In fact, if you were asked some Cannes Film Festival trivia questions, you may come up short.

The goal of this particular red carpet festival is to promote the film industry all over the world and bring attention to French and international filmmakers. A collection of films is viewed during the week of the festival with awards given on the closing day.

To help you understand the festival more clearly, we have created a list of 15 Cannes Film Festival trivia questions and answers that are based on some fascinating facts about the festival.

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15 Cannes Film Festival Trivia Questions

1. Question: When is this year's festival?
Answer: The 76th edition will be held during the week of May 16-27, 2023.

2. Question: Where is the Cannes Film Festival held?
Answer: The festival will be held at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, which is the traditional home of the festival and is located on the French Riviera.

3. Question: Which film will the festival open with?
Answer: Jeanne Du Barry by Maiwenn.

4. Question: Which film will the festival close with?
Answer: Elemental by Peter Sohn.

5. Question: Which films will be screened in competition at Cannes?
Answer: There are a total of 19 films scheduled for screening including the following:

  • Club Zero by Jessica Hausner

  • The Zone of Interest by Jonathan Glazer

  • Fallen Leaves by Aki Kaurismaki

  • Four Daughters by Kaouther Ben Hania

  • Asteroid City by Wes Anderson

  • Anatomie d'Une Chute by Justine Triet

  • Monster by Hirokazu Kore-eda

  • Il Sol dell' Avvenire by Nanni Moretti

  • L'ete dernier by Catherine Breillat

  • About Dry Grasses by Nuri Bilge Ceylan

  • La Chimera by Alice Rohrwacher

  • La Passion De Dodin Bouffant by Tran Anh Hung

  • Rapito by Marco Bellocchio

  • May December by Todd Haynes

  • Jeunesse by Wang Bing

  • The Old Oak by Ken Loach

  • Banel et Adama by Ramata-Toulaye Sy

  • Perfect Days by Wim Wenders

  • Firebrand by Karim Ainouz

  • Black Flies by Jean-Stephane Sauvaire

  • Le Retour by Catherine Corsini

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6. Question: Whose films have opened for the festival several times but have never been part of the competition?
Answer: Woody Allen's.

7. Question: How many times is the red carpet leading up the stairs changed throughout the festival week?
Answer: Three times a day.

8. Question: What is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes film festival?
Answer: The Palme d'Or, which is made of 118 grams of 18-karat yellow gold.

9. Question: In what year was the Cannes film festival set up, even though no films were shown that year due to war?
Answer: 1939.

10. Question: What is the average number of journalists that attend the festival each year?
Answer: 4500.

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11. Question: In what year was the Palme d'Or trophy created?
Answer: 1955.

12. Question: What caused a group of directors to bring the festival to a standstill in 1968?
Answer: The effort to be in solidarity with the student protests that were being held all over France.

13. Question: Because the romantic comedy, The Married Couple of the Year Two, was aired during the closing ceremony in 1971, who was invited to attend the screening?
Answer: Any couple that could prove that they had been married in that year, 1971.

14. Question: Who were the only two women to ever win the Palme d'Or?
Answer: Jane Campion in 1993 for The Piano and Julia Ducournau in 2021 for Titane.

15. Question: In 2010, how many languages were added to the Cannes Film Festival roster to highlight the fact that it is an international festival?
Answer: Six

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