Centered on the campus of Miami Dade College, the annual Miami International Film Festival  began in 1983, promoting not only thought provoking film but also encouraging cultural understanding and tolerance; a fact made evident by the festival’s emphasis on Latin film making, set against the backdrop of Miami’s multi cultural communities.

Throughout the years, the Miami Film Festival has been the breeding ground for a selection of diverse films and events, offering not only new film makers the opportunity to showcase their efforts in a multi cultural metropolis, but industry professionals too. Influential film makers, including Spike Lee and Luc Besson, have screened their work at the festival in the past, while distributors such as HBO, Fox Searchlight and Miramax have taken part in the presentation of some of the business programs available at the festival.

The diverse and unique nature of the films on offer during the festival is reflected in the choice of screening venues, with three of the theatres used being historic landmarks, including the Gusman Center – a grand, elegant movie theatre ideal for the major red carpet events and the Tower Theatre, conveniently situated in the Little Havana neighbourhood of Miami and vibrant with different cultures. Other theatres include the Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road in the heart of South Beach’s Art Deco district, as well as screenings at the University of Miami’s central campus.

The 25th anniversary of the festival also marks the fifth year of the ground breaking Encuentros program; giving Spanish and Latin American artists the opportunity to present their latest projects to U.S and International industry professionals, helping to build connections and contacts in the industry. With the Festival boasting more than 1300 relationships with national and international press organisations, the Miami Film Festival is the ideal platform for new artists to showcase their talent.

Outstanding work is encouraged with a $25,000 prize going to the leaders in a number of categories, with prize-money donated by the Knight Foundation, an organisation promoting journalistic excellence worldwide. One of the biggest supporters of the Miami area in general, the foundation has invested over $148 million in the vitality of Miami since 1950.

Last year’s event saw the hotels in Miami packed with more than three hundred directors, actors, film makers and writers as well as 70,000 film fans who flocked to the city to sample the 120 films being screened. This year is set to be even bigger with an educational and thought-provoking experience on offer to all the visitors to the 25th Miami International Film Festival this February.

The glamour and glitz of Tinseltown hit the French Riviera this week as the 61st Cannes Film Festival began.

The next 12 days will be full of A-listers, wannabes and executives schmoozing, posing and partying at the film industry’s most famous and prestigious event. There will also be a good deal of serious film viewing and reviewing.

This year’s festival is showcasing South American film and promises something for everyone, from dark independent European tales and quirky animation to good old-fashioned blockbusting Hollywood adventure.

Over 33,000 industry professionals will be in Cannes to see 22 movies fight it out for the coveted Palme d’Or for best film which is awarded on the final day, 25 May. Other awards in the motion picture competition include the Grand Prix, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Actor.

The main competition opens with Brazilian entry Blindness, directed by Fernando Meirelles who also directed City of God. It stars Julianne Moore and Gael Garcia Bernal caught up in a global blindness epidemic.

More big names in the feature film competition include Angelina Jolie in Clint Eastwood’s Changeling, Benicio del Toro in Steven Soderbergh’s Che, Gwyneth Paltrow and Joaquin Phoenix in James Gray’s Two Lovers and Philip Seymour Hoffman in Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York.

Matteo Garrone, Paolo Sorrentino and Ari Folman are some of the less mainstream directors competing for the big awards.

There are also competition prizes for new talent (Un Certain Regard), film school entries (Cinefondation) and short films. In addition, the festival features special screenings and out of competition showings.

This year the return of the well-preserved Harrison Ford as archaeologist-adventurer Indiana Jones is grabbing the headlines in the latter category. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is directed, as ever, by Steven Spielberg. Jack Black, Woody Allen and Robert de Niro are all involved in Out of Competition films too.

Madonna, Diego Maradona and Mike Tyson are just a few of the celebrities expected to strut their stuff on the Croisette, Cannes’ main thoroughfare, during the next two weeks.

Britain is represented at the festival by first-time director Steve McQueen who opens the Un Certain Regard competition with his portrayal of the last six weeks in the life of Bobby Sands. The IRA hunger striker died in 1981 after 66 days without food. The short film category features a film made by English artist Sam Taylor-Wood and executive-produced by the late Anthony Minghella.

The juries for each competition category include international film actors, directors, writers, technicians, critics and journalists depending on the award. This year’s feature film jury is led by American actor-director Sean Penn and includes US actress Natalie Portman and Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron.

Last year Cristian Mungiu won the feature film Palme d’Or with 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.

The Cannes Film Festival may be a private, invitation-only affair but even we mere mortals can enjoy the unique atmosphere of the resort. EasyJet flies to Nice from London and most regional airports. UK travellers based in the North can fly from Manchester with Air France and KLM.