First Cannes Film Festival Opens

After the wartime interruption, Cannes hosts an international programme of screenings and cultural events.

On 20 September 1946, the first Cannes Film Festival actually held opened. Its organisers wanted to create an international forum for cinema after years of war and broken cultural contacts.

The programme included films from several countries and events devoted to the history of cinema. The festival's official archive preserves a schedule beginning on 20 September 1946.

The festival had been planned before the Second World War, but the conflict prevented the project from proceeding at the intended time. The 1946 event therefore became a symbol of the return of international cultural life.

Cannes later developed into one of the world's most influential film festivals. Its history illustrates how cultural institutions were rebuilt in post-war Europe.

Source: View historical source ↗