Stuck for a room for the festival?

I'm a little surprised, but there are still some rooms available in and around Cannes for the festival. I did a quick check and came up with three within 5 kilometers. Your best bets are in either Mandelieu or Juan-les-Pins. Click on this hotel selection for an example. But don't be surprised if the link draws a blank first time as rooms are booked. You might have to spread the range further. Good luck.

Quentin Tarantino to give Cannes masterclass

Quentin Tarantino is to give a masterclass at Cannes this year. The maker of "Pulp Fiction" and "Kill Bill" is following in the footsteps of Martin Scorsese, Stephen Frears and Sydney Pollack by taking to the stage to talk about film-making. As anyone that watches YouTube knows, Mr T can be outspoken and passionate. So this should be a stimulating event.

This is not the first time Tarantino has spoken at Cannes, as he took to the stage of the open-air cinema a few years back to introduce some classics films.

The Cannes festival and Film Market will be held May 14-25.

Pan-African film fest, April 18-23

The other film festival in Cannes, the International Pan-African Film festival, will kick off this year on April 18 with a special reception on the beach of the Noga Hotel. Guests this year include Marie-Ange Banbancourt, Emile Abossolo MBO, Roger Cantin, Wyoma, Oxaï Roura and Serge Diantantu. The line-up includes films from across the African diaspora (notably a strong selection from the US), as well as featuring fashion, music events and workshops on the island of Sainte Marguerite.

MIPTV: International Entertainment Industry at the EMC Kick-Off

On Monday 7 April, the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and the Entertainment Master Class (EMC) held a reception at MipTV in Cannes to celebrate the official kick-off of the EMC format academy. Guests expected to attend included Julie Bristow (CBC Television, Kanada), Ben Hall (BBC Worldwide), Guillaume de Fondaumière (Quantic Dream), Dr. Thomas Bellut (ZDF), Frank Hoffmann (VOX), Jan Mojto (EOS Entertainment), Dr. Matthias Esche (Bavaria Film International) and many more. EMC is a prestigious event that focuses on building expertise in TV formats within Europe.