Mostra, Berlinale, Toronto: Other film festivals
Cannes is probably the most prestigious film festival, but several others have also made their marks for specific reasons. Here is a quick look at three of them:
The MOSTRA of Venice: The First
The first big film festival was created in 1932 in Venice, Italy as part of its biennial contemporary art and cultural fair, and the Mostra Internazionale d'ARTE Cinematografica la Biennale di Venezia now takes place annually in September at the landmark Lido Film Palace.
The first prize is the Golden Lion, modelled after the lion of Saint Marc, the city's patron saint. Also awarded is a Silver Lion, a Grand Jury Prize and two Coppa Volpi or Volpi Cups for best actress and actor. In 1938, Leni Riefenstahl's film "Olympia" won amidst pressure from Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, which led French delegates to imagine a separate festival, that was eventually located in Cannes.
In 1946, it was agreed that the Venice festival would take place in September and Cannes would happen in May, but the Italian event now competes directly with one more focused on business aspects of the industry in Toronto (see below).
The Berlinale: Spotlight on politics
The Berlin International Film Festival takes place in February and is open to the public. The best film wins a Golden Bear, as a black bear is the symbol of Berlin.
Silver Bears are awarded for the best director, best screenplay, best actress and best actor. Like Cannes there is a main competition and several sidebar categories.
The Berlinale was inaugurated in 1951 by Allied authorities to serve as a "showcase to the free world" in the divided city. Alfred Hitchcock's "Rebecca" opened the first edition, even though it had originally premiered in 1940.
Movies made in the former Soviet bloc were admitted in the 1970s.
The festival's hallmark is the attention it brings to political and social issues. In 1970, a showing of the film "O.K." by Michael Verhoeven was suspended because it depicted the rape of a young girl by US soldiers during the war in Vietnam.
In 2015, the Golden Bear went to Iranian director Jafar Panahi for "Taxi," which he filmed despite a 20-year ban on making movies or travelling outside the country. Among the festival’s themes was the global migration crisis in 2016.
Toronto: Taking care of business
The Toronto International Film Festival (tiff) was created in 1976 and focuses on the industry's commercial aspects. It is the largest film festival in North America.
Between 300-400 films are screened and 2,000 buyers from around the world gather there in September to buy film rights.
There is no official competition, and the only prize is the Grolsch People's Choice Award. Word of mouth advertising spreads quickly however and can make or break a film presented in the Canadian financial capital. Hollywood studios make sure to present work there, often before it is released worldwide.
The tiff has become an obligatory stop on the way to Oscar glory, and a pit-stop for European films that want to find a North American distributor.