The 65th Cannes Film Festival

To celebrate the 65th Cannes Film Festival, Agence France-Presse has teamed up with the city of cannes to present an exhibition of 17 monumental photographs of stars under the title “Cannes fait le mur”, that will grace the city’s walls and the “rue d’Antibes” from May 16 to June 30 2012.

The pictures have been selected to reflect the influence of fashion over the years and the postures adopted by stars since 1946. Actors are in turn accessible, enigmatic or disarmingly natural, and range from Alfred Hitchcock to Sophia Loren, from Michael Douglas to Annie Girardot.

“The public will be able to relive the magic of seeing stars going up the famous walkway steps, something that every year makes headlines around the world. From unforgettable arrivals to portraits that use the city as a background, the agency photographers capture the grace and pride of the stars and directors that make the Cannes Film Festival such a unique event”, said AFP Chairman and Chief Executive Emmanuel Hoog.

AFP, one of the three world news agencies, has been covering the festival since it began. The exhibition pays tribute to AFP photo-journalists who each year produce over 6,000 images during the fortnight of the festival, alongside videographers, editorial staff and computer graphic artists.

“The agency in 2011 launched a vast restoration and digitisation program involving over three million glass plates, negatives and prints going back to the early days of photography. Articles, collections and funds acquired in the 20th century will be gradually made available by AFP to its clients to share images of conflicts, cultural events and sporting moments”, Emmanuel Hoog added.