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Packed behind security barriers, scorched by the sun and pelted by rain, they are the real stars of the Cannes film festival - the intrepid autograph hunters. The fans on the front line of the world's largest cinema showcase, perched on stepladders across from the famous red carpet steps, are ecstatic about all the celebrities and the glamour. "I'm living my dream ... There's no one happier than I am. It's been building up since when I was six or seven," said Martine Santoro, 61, who watched the images from Cannes when she was a child in Paris and vowed to get there one day in person.   true       A toy piano rigged up on the front of Santoro's stepladder is her homage to this year's festival jury president, "The Piano" director Jane Campion. The instrument caught Campion's eye on opening night and she came over to sign an autograph, as did Nicole Kidman, there to promote her starring role in "Grace of Monaco". As the mov

A film that breaks with Bollywood and delivers an atypical dose of social realism that left its leading actor feeling depressed during shooting is India's only contender at this season's Cannes festival. "Titli", by Kanu Behl, which tackles the family violence and poor treatment of women that blight Indian society, is one of 19 films competing in the 'Un Certain Regard' category for emerging directors, with prizes to be handed out on Friday. Behl's first feature as director follows the quiet and withdrawn Titli - 'butterfly' in Hindi - who is desperate to break from his all-male family of car-jackers living in a suburban slum but finds every exit blocked and every dream destroyed.   true           "It is for me a film that takes on the Holy Grail of Indian cinema, which is the family, and says 'Hey look! There's all this happening and why aren't we talking about it?'" Behl, who had previously worked on documentaries,

Whizz-kid Canadian director Xavier Dolan screened a tour-de-force black comedy at Cannes about a disturbed teenager's relationship with his mother, while Ken Loach's "Jimmy's Hall," shown on Thursday, described a communist leader from Ireland's past. The film by Dolan, 25, won raves from critics after its press screening on Wednesday night. British director Loach's latest, on the other hand, was described by one reviewer as "inert". Only three days are left until the main prizes are awarded on Saturday. "Mommy" is one of three Canadian films competing for the Palme d'Or, alongside David Cronenberg's critique of Hollywood, "Maps to the Stars", and "The Captive" from Atom Egoyan.   true       It is the fifth film by Dolan, who took Cannes by storm in 2009 with three awards for his debut, "I Killed My Mother." As its title suggests, he is sometimes described as being engaged in "therapy throu

Seeing people shot down as the insurrection in Kiev's Maidan square built to a climax might not be everyone's idea of a movie night out, but watching it filmed on the epic scale of Russian director Sergei Eisenstein's films is breathtaking. That is exactly what the Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa had in mind for his documentary film "Maidan", screened this week at the Cannes International Film Festival. His film is a fly-on-the-wall view of the Maidan uprising, which started last year and led to President Viktor Yanukovich fleeing the country in February. It has a cast of thousands - the very people who protested in the square day after day, week after week, to oust the Russian-backed Yanukovich.   true       Loznitsa, whose previous feature films have dealt with fictionalized but gritty topics such as a man during World War Two being accused of collaborating with the Germans, said his inspiration for "Maidan" came from "Strike" by Eise

Mark Ruffalo was puzzled when he was recruited to play Ned Weeks, a thinly fictionalized character based on AIDS activist Larry Kramer in the HBO film adaptation of Kramer's Tony award-winning play "The Normal Heart." "I was like: 'Me?' " said Ruffalo. The actor, who often plays sensitive roles in films such as "The Kids Are All Right," asked director Ryan Murphy, "Shouldn't a gay person be playing Ned Weeks at this point in time? Aren't we there yet?"   true       Murphy told him he was "missing the point," that "the whole meaning of this movie" was that it did not matter whether a gay actor plays Kramer. "He was much more evolved on that than I was," Ruffalo said. "The Normal Heart," which debuts on HBO on Sunday, also features Jim Parsons of "The Big Bang Theory," Oscar-winner Julia Roberts ("Erin Brockovic,") and Matt Bomer of TV's "White Collar

Former Beatle Paul McCartney, who canceled a series of concerts in class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Japan and class="mandelbrot_refrag"> South Korea , is expected to make a full recovery after being treated in a Tokyo hospital for a viral infection, a spokeswoman for the British musician said on Thursday. _0"> McCartney, 71, postponed two shows in Tokyo earlier this week due to illness, and on Thursday canceled more concerts due to take place in class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Japan this week and class="mandelbrot_refrag"> South Korea next week. "Since contracting a virus last week that led to the postponement of tour dates, Paul received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo," according to a statement issued by his spokeswoman Perri Cohen.   true       "He will make a complete recovery and has been ordered to take a few days rest. Paul has been extremely moved by all the messages and well wishes

A federal judge on Thursday reinstated a lawsuit by "To Kill a Mockingbird" author Harper Lee against an Alabama museum she accuses of illegally profiting from her Pulitzer Prize-winning book. Attorneys for Lee and the Monroe County Heritage Museum announced in February that the two sides reached an out-of-court settlement. But the agreement has fallen through, according to legal filings from Lee's attorneys. An Alabama judge on Thursday reset a trial date for November 2014.   true       Norman Stockman, an attorney for Lee, said in the filing that the museum has not complied with the terms and is attempting to add new requests. The museum's lawyer, Sam David Knight, declined to comment. Details of the agreement have not been made public. The reclusive author sued the museum in October, saying it never paid her a licensing fee for using the novel's title and a mockingbird image on merchandise it sold in its gift shop. Lee's suit contended the museum ear

With J.J. Abrams kicking off the first of three new "Star Wars" films, Disney announced on Thursday that "Godzilla" filmmaker Gareth Edwards will direct a separate spin-off installment of the franchise, scheduled for December 2016. _0"> The yet-to-be-titled "Star Wars" film, which is being written by "The Book of Eli" screenwriter Gary Whitta, is being described as a stand-alone movie in addition to the next three installments beginning with Abrams's "Star Wars: Episode VII," to be released in December 2015. British director Edwards made his feature film debut with his re-imagining of "Godzilla," which stormed the North American box office with $93.2 million in sales over the past weekend.   true       class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Walt Disney Co purchased "Star Wars" creator George Lucas's production company LucasFilm for $4.05 billion in 2012 and announced it would release spin-off

The finale of Fox's singing competition show "American Idol" drew the lowest viewership in its 13-year history, with 10.6 million viewers, 25 percent below last year's audience, according to ratings figures compiled by Nielsen on Thursday. _0"> "Idol," which crowned North Carolina singer Caleb Johnson the winner in a two-hour finale on Wednesday night, was once an industry powerhouse for Fox, watched by more than 30 million viewers at its peak. But it has steadily declined in ratings in recent years, averaging around 8 million viewers per episode over the latest season, despite featuring celebrity judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr.   true       The 18-49 demographic that advertisers covet accounted for 3.4 million of the viewers for this year's finale, down from last year's 6 million. Early Nielsen ratings data on Thursday from Fox said total viewership for the "Idol" finale was 10.1 million, with 3.3 mil

Sharon Stone showed up in a daring dress, John Travolta flew in on his plane, and even Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst made an appearance to support the Cannes film festival's largest charity ball to raise money for AIDS research. At the 21st annual event organized by amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, the film world's glitterati assembled on Thursday night to raise $38 million for charity, Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein announced. The amfAR gala, held at the luxurious five-star Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, perched over the blue water of the French Riviera not far from Cannes, is the biggest fundraising event at the world's largest and most prestigious film festival. The benefit was first hosted by Elizabeth Taylor.   true       With celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Kylie Minogue, Dita Von Teese, Adrien Brody, Paris Hilton and even Catherine Deneuve in attendance, the event was the place to be as the prestigious film festival began to wind down, with top prizes t

Japanese fans on Friday welcomed news that former Beatle Paul McCartney is expected to make a full recovery from the viral infection that landed him in a Tokyo hospital for treatment. _0"> McCartney, 71, called off his sold-out class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Japan tour this week after postponing several concerts, much to the disappointment of fans - some of whom had paid 100,000 yen ($980) to see him. He later canceled a concert set for class="mandelbrot_refrag"> South Korea next week. "The shock was huge when I heard the two concerts which I had bought tickets for were both canceled," said Shinichi Noguchi, 40, who had come to the Tokyo hotel where McCartney was believed to be staying.   true       "It's good to hear he's recovering and I'll be happy if he can come to class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Japan again in the near future." McCartney spokeswoman Perri Cohen said in a statement on Thursday that M

Los Angeles' gangs and police clash in gritty new Fox drama series "Gang Related", an exploration of the city's darker side with a hero that isn't quite what he seems as he treads the line between family and the law. "Gang Related," premiering on Thursday, centers on Detective Ryan Lopez, played by Ramon Rodriguez, a gang member who is part of the Los Angeles Police Department's gang task force, and forced to hide his ties to the gang family he was brought up in. The Fox class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Broadcasting series is created by Chris Morgan, the writer of the last five "Fast & Furious" car-racing films, who said he wanted to explore the origins of gang culture in Los Angeles, a theme that he believes has larger resonance.   true       "If you look at the history of our country, we actually are founded on gangs," Morgan told Reuters. "People have come to America searching for the American dream, and

John Boorman had always intended to make a sequel to Oscar-nominated "Hope and Glory", his 1987 semi-autobiography set in suburban London during World War Two, and it could very well be the 81-year-old director's last film, he said. "Queen and Country", which premiered in the Director's Fortnight category at the Cannes film festival this week, fast-forwards the action of "Hope and Glory" to 1952, following the now 18-year-old protagonist Billy Rohan as he is conscripted to fight in the Korean War. "I'm not sure I'll do any more," Boorman, who walks with a cane, told Reuters TV.   true       "Old age is a series of retreats. Many of the things, the pleasures of my life have been withdrawn. I played tennis all my life which I can't do anymore. You know, film-making is one of the few things I'm able to do, I'm still able to do." But old age does have its advantages, said the director of "Deliveranc

A gentle Labrador mix named Body won the "Palm Dog" award on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival on Friday, a pat on the head from canine-lovers and film critics for the outstanding movie performance by a pooch. Body starred in "Feher Isten" (White God) by Hungarian director Kornel Mundruczo, which features more than 250 dogs. The lead character is "Hagen" - a role shared by Body and a second hound named Luc - who is abandoned by his family and picked up by a man who trains him to be fighting dog.   true       At the film's festival premiere earlier in the festival, Body attended a photocall, walked the red carpet and was invited onstage - wearing a bowtie. The Palm Dog award is a play on the Palme d'Or, the Cannes festival's top prize. "What an honor, what a historical hound!" said Palm Dog organizer Toby Rose, who called the film a cross between "Inglorious Barksterds" and "Ben Fur." It had been a

Juliette Binoche confronts an issue every actress eventually faces in Olivier Assayas's "Clouds of Sils Maria" - what happens when the casting call you get is for the older woman and no longer the starlet? Men, as Harrison class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Ford , Arnold Schwarzenneger and Sylvester Stallone proved by bringing the roadshow to promote their "The Expendables 3" over-the-hill mercenaries franchise to Cannes last weekend, can continue to play the same action heroes into their 60s or even 70s. But a woman can't play a starlet after a certain age, nor should she want to, Binoche, who reached global stardom in such films as "The English Patient" and "Chocolat" said at a post-screening news conference.   true       The film was the last of the 18 in competition for the top Palme d'Or prize to be screened before the main awards are announced on Saturday. "Imagine if for 40 years you played the part of 20-year-

The Hungarian film "Feher Isten" (White God), starring a pack of stray dogs that terrorizes the capital Budapest and directed by Kornel Mundruczo, won the top prize in the "Un Certain Regard" forum of the Cannes International Film Festival on Friday. _0"> The runner-up, winning the jury prize, was "Turist" by Swedish director Ruben Ostlund. It is about the disintegration of a marriage after a husband abandons his wife and children on a terrace and flees when he falsely believes they are all about to be killed by an avalanche. Jury President for the "Un Certain Regard" festival was Argentine director Pablo Trapero.   true       The forum, "A Particular Outlook" in English, is for young, innovative filmmakers or directors that runs alongside the main Cannes competition, whose winners will be announced on Saturday. Other films competing for the prize were the directorial debut of Hollywood A-list actor Ryan Gosling, "Los

Screening films in digital is like forcing audiences to watch television in public, cult director Quentin Tarantino told the Cannes film festival on Friday, adding that the lush 35-millimetre cinema he grew up with was "dead". Tarantino is not competing in this year's event, but he spoke to journalists and film critics before a 35mm screening of his hit "Pulp Fiction" on the beach on Friday night. "The fact that most films now are not presented in 35mm means that the war is lost," said the director of the cult hit "Reservoir Dogs".   true       Digital formats and distribution have swept the world of cinema, largely because of cost - most of the films in Cannes are now projected that way. But aficionados still sing the praises of the old-school film reels - in the same way that music buffs hold on to their vinyl LPs over compact discs. Fans obsess about the warmth and fineness of the 35mm grain and its ability to record the darkest of s

U.S. television personality Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West toured the Chateau de Versailles in class="mandelbrot_refrag"> France on Friday with hundreds of guests ahead of their wedding in Florence this weekend, the visit's organizer said. _0"> The couple were due to host an informal dinner and concert in Paris after visiting the palace, Omar Cherif told Reuters TV. The two had hoped to marry at Versailles, which King Louis XIV transformed from a hunting lodge into the dazzling heart of an absolutist state but were told in January that would not be possible.   true       Kardashian and West will celebrate their wedding in the 16th century Belvedere Fort in Florence on Saturday. An official at Florence mayor's office said last week that the couple were renting the Belvedere Fort for 300,000 euros ($411,100) for the occasion, which will be presided over by a Protestant pastor. However, as the castle is not an authorized site for weddings, there

While attention in Cannes is focused on film premieres and stars on the red carpet, movie sales and deals struck by high rollers and bit players are what keep the Mediterranean seaside town awash in money. Eighteen film titles ranging from 83-year-old French director Jean-Luc Godard's "Adieu au Langage" (Goodbye to Language) to 25-year-old Canadian director Xavier Dolan's "Mommy" are competing for the top Palme d'Or prize that will be announced on Saturday night. But that is just a drop in the bucket compared to what festival officials estimate are some 5,000 films shown here, in complete form or as trailers, to potential buyers or investors.   true       There were fewer big-budget Hollywood titles in the Cannes market this year, but Jerome Paillard, chief executive of the Marche du Film (Film Market), sees that as cyclical. "It's not necessarily a short-term threat because most of the class="mandelbrot_refrag"> business we

Television personality Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West celebrate their wedding on Saturday in a 16th century castle overlooking the historic city of Florence. City authorities have confirmed the event, overseen by a Protestant pastor, is taking place in the Forte di Belvedere, set on a hill overlooking the city which the couple have hired for the night for 300,000 euros ($408,900). But few other details have leaked out ahead of the lavish festivities. A private security firm has kept curious fans, paparazzi and television cameras from getting too close to the site, a Renaissance stronghold with high sloping walls that have been boosted by specially erected privacy screens.   true       West, 36, a rapper, entrepreneur and self-declared romantic, proposed to 33-year-old reality TV star Kardashian in an empty baseball stadium with a specially hired orchestra, the event shown during an episode of the TV show "Keeping up with the Kardashians". The couple, known collect

Turkish film "Winter Sleep" examining the huge divide between rich and poor and the powerful and powerless in class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Turkey won the Palme d'Or award for best film for director Nuri Bilge Ceylan on Saturday at the 67th Cannes International Film Festival. Ceylan's three-hour-plus dark and atmospheric film was only the second Turkish movie to win the top award at the world's most prestigious film festival, and the director noted that it came on the 100th anniversary year of Turkish film. He dedicated the honor to "those who lost their lives during the last year", adding that he was referring to the youth of his country and to unrest in class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Turkey .   true       "These young people actually taught us a lot of things. Some of them sacrificed their lives in a way for us," Ceylan said later at a news conference. "Le Meraviglie" (The Wonders) by Italian director Ali

The "X-Men" mutant superheroes smashed into U.S. and Canadian theaters and collected $90.7 million in ticket sales through Sunday, keeping monster hit "Godzilla" at bay and heading toward a decisive win over a long holiday weekend. "X-Men: Days of Future Past" was expected to bring in $110 million by the end of the U.S. Memorial Day holiday on Monday, distributor 20th Century Fox said. The movie has already earned a global total of $261.8 million after opening at No. 1 in all 119 countries around the world. Last week's winner, monster movie remake "Godzilla", dropped to second place with $31.4 million through Sunday, according to estimates from box office tracking firm Rentrak. Its sales were projected to reach $39 million by Monday.   true       Romantic comedy "Blended" claimed the No. 3 spot, taking in $14.2 million and on pace for about $17 million through Monday. "X-Men: Days of Future Past" is the seventh movi