Thursday, May 17, 2012

2012 Cannes Film Festival - Day 1

2012 Cannes Film Festival - Day 1  -  Moonrise Kingdom




Official Selection of Films in Competition


COMPETITION



If you were wondering if I was posting a blog after Day 1 in Cannes, well it almost didn't happen. I attended the opening night ceremonies and the screening of the opening film Moonrise Kingdom, thanks to my friend Yolonda creator of the symposium Beyond Borders Diversity in Cannes. We hit the red carpet at around 6:25pm and ended up on the carpet at the same time as Eva Longoria and just ahead of the film's cast (Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton).

This is my first time attending the opening ceremonies that included a touching video tribute to Marilyn Monroe accompanied by a female performer and her band singing Elton John's Candle in the wind. The young woman was so excited to be there she was practically jumping up and down at the finish. She said this was the biggest prom in the world and she was so excited to be invited. She literally did a tango off the stage with one of the stage directors. Really funny, the audience loved it.

The film which tells the story of two 12-year-olds who fall in love before making a secret pact and running away together, also included newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as the young lovelorn couple. This is a quirky but sweet movie about young love, filmed like a
moving art painting. I really enjoyed this movie. I was interviewed as I was leaving by a reporter covering for a television station inside the Palais about my thoughts on the film. The last time I was interviewed was for Tiscali magazine during the screening of The Matrix Reloaded in 2003. This interview led to my missing the last connection back to Nice and I ended up crashing on my friend Yolonda's couch, then had to get up this morning and make my way back to Nice looking like a you-know-what the morning after, still dressed in my evening attire. Thank God for sunglasses. Me and Yolonda had a big laugh about this situation.

My iPad is not allowing me to post pictures in my blog, so I will have to upload them as posts on my Facebook page. So look for them there. Meanwhile check out my video stream on this page.

Til next time.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Cannes Film Festival - Preparation Day - May 15, 2012

Cannes is in full preparation mode today for the beginning of the 65th Festival de Cannes tomorrow. It's amazing how much work goes into preparing this small town for an overwhelming number of people who invade Cannes for 10 days in May. The workers are like little bees setting up the beach club cabanas, the facades on the hotels are being covered with ads promoting upcoming movies, boundaries are being set up to keep the uninvited out, while the upscale stores on Le Croisette are washing and shining their windows to perfection for displaying the most decadent of everything from red carpet gowns to million dollar jewelry. The red carpet on the stairs of the Palais have not been laid yet but you can bet it will be ready for the Marches at tomorrows opening of the screening film Moonrise Kingdom.

Can't wait to hear what outlandish stunts Sacha Baron Cohen will pull at his party tonight for his film The Dictator. It will definitely make the news.

Tomorrow is Day 1 of the 2012 Festival de Cannes celebrating 65 years, and there are some big events planned for this milestone.

Will keep you posted.

France 2012

My trip across the pond to France was every bit as wonderful as I expected. I can never get enough of France even with it's crazy driving habits and nonchalance when it comes to organizing. There are more important things to do like Shopping, eating and drinking wine. I only spent a few days in Paris, but the joie de vivre whenever I walk down one of the boulevards or sit at a bistro watching the French enjoy being with each other is enough to last for some time.

I stopped in at Monies Rue St. Honore store where the one-of-a-kind pieces are sold. The artistry of the pieces are amazing and bold. The owner is very, very Parisian and was a little snobby until I told her I carried Monies at my own boutique in Boston for 20 years. She has been carrying Monies for the same length of time. I told her how I discovered Monies at the North Americam distributor in Chicago in 1992. She took my business card and said she would give it Gerda and Nikolai Monies in Copenhagen. Oh, and by the way I got the most amazing pair of turquoise/coral/amber/bone/gold earrings from her.

We also discussed Iris Apfel, the notorious Monies collector who exhibited her collection at the Peabody Essex Museum in 2010. She surprised me by saying how much she despised Iris whom she said is "a terrible person who came in my store and sat here and proceeded to steal the Monies designs and use them for her own jewelry line. If you have talent you should be able to create your own designs". I was amused and thought what a scoop for my blog. Iris Apfel being called a design thief. We had a good laugh and parted as friends.

Looking forward to the start of The Cannes Film Festival Wednesday, May 16. Maybe another upgrade in the works, or another news scoop, but whatever happens it's sure to be fun and exciting. Who knows.

Stay tuned for all the exciting details.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

I am starting to get excited about my annual trek to the French Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival, May 16-May 26, 2012. Looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. For the past 12 years I have visited Cannes during the Festival and every year it has been an adventure to boggle the mind. In 2011 I was fortunate enough to walk the red carpet and get tickets to 7 screenings. In 2010 I had the opportunity to meet the winner of the Golden Camera d'or, Michael Rowe from Mexico, director of the film Año Bisiesto (Leap Year). I have since added the DVD version of the movie to my collection. Looking forward to the 2012 Festival and all that it has to offer.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Fumi's Fashion Files: FASHION'S LANGUAGE IS ENGLISH!

Fumi's Fashion Files: FASHION'S LANGUAGE IS ENGLISH!: Since the universal language is English, and Fashion is universal, it's nice to see that many international publications are making it'...

Saturday, April 14, 2012