What I Learned About Film Criticism at Cannes
The famous Palais Theatre at Cannes, France (source: New York Times ) I am often accused by friends as being somewhat of a snob when it comes to movies, and part of what made me one was the best summer I experienced during college. In 2017, I was fortunate enough to attend the Cannes Film Festival in France as part of a study abroad program. The program centered around teaching students interested in film about the fields of criticism and distribution. The trip comprised two corresponding courses; Film Criticism and International Film Marketing. As a burgeoning film nerd, I was excited to go, but couldn’t begin to imagine the reduced awakening that I was in for when I got to the festival. History of the Festival The Cannes Film Festival, named after the French coastal city that hosts it, has taken place annually every summer since 1946. The first festival was actually in 1939. It began as an alternative to the Venice Film Festival, then the biggest film festival in Europe, which was