Cannes Film Festival wraps up, and Brangelina’s champagne partying proves no trouble in paradise

I had at least two friends going to Cannes Film Festival this year. Was I jealous? You bet. It's been my 5th year that I've been not only watching Cannes Film Festival closely, but I've been also writing and sharing about it in media.

In my opinion, it's one of the most exciting film events in the world. It might not be the most watched one, as Oscar's is, but nevertheless, it gets as much publicity and star-attraction as any other great film festivals. Definitely, more coverage than Tribeca and Sundance festivals. Definitely more coverage than Moscow International Film Festival, Berlin International Film (Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), or Rome International Film Festival (Festival internazionale del Film di Roma).

Recouping the very first day of the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, and what all these people were expecting from it this year:

Everyone from traditional print around the world to the newest digital editions to keeping in touch with the latest news and gossips, Twitter and Facebook, swirled into the tornado of Cannes activities this year. Much awaited-for date for all the movie lovers and goers – announcement of this year’s Cannes Film Festival winners. I waited too, following on my friends who were present at the festival; year after year.

There are a lot of us out there who dig foreign movies as much as we dig our own country’s movie-making industry, if not more. These rare occasions when we get to watch a foreign movie at either an art movie theatre or on the IFC channel are a treasure, because to order foreign movies online come expensive. As much as I’d like to collect my favorites of Éric Rohmer (a French film director and screenwriter), Federico Fellini (an Italian genius director), and Nikita Mikhalkov (a winning Soviet and Russian filmmaker and actor, who took the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and Cannes’ Grand Prize for Burnt by the Sun in 2000), unless I go to France, Italy or Russia, ordering them online cost twice, even three times more than getting an American movie on Amazon.com.

So, Cannes Film Festival makes it easier for us to make a selection and invest in an assured-in-greatness foreign film or track it down at movie theatres in the hometown of ours.

For a close look at les femmes les plus glamour du Festival de Cannes, 2009, click here.

And for the red carpet, Les stars les plus inattendues du Festival de Cannes, click here.

Check out LA Examiner's coverage, of what's went wrong on the Cannes' red carpet this year, or what fashion faux pas has been committed by no-more, no-less Angelina Jolie, who apparently did take a break from filming Salt in NYC and joined her partner-in-crime, Brad Pitt, for a premier of Inglourious Basterds, followed by a drink-all-you-can-campaign after-party, lavishly organized by Quentin Tarantino.

This appearance has just proved that there is less truth to last few month’s tabloids, yellow press, which wanted to blow up the Brad-Angelina relationship to pieces and make us all believe that there has been always drama: Brad-and-babysitter, Brad-and-Aniston, Angelina-and-her-mom’s boyfriends, etc. – this year’s Cannes’ Inglourious Basterds after-party proved that all is well in the family of 6-and-plus.

And according to CNN, and the interviewees, many people lined up to see the much anticipated Inglourious Basterds in Cannes. Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and more:

And there were no signs of relationship strains as Brangelina looked all loved-up as the couple cuddled at the bash. And even though the couple avoided mingling with many of the other partygoers at the bash in France and their privacy was protected by 10 burly security staff, according to BANG!, however, the couple did managed to find a place to cuddle.

(Hand in hand second year in a row at the Cannes Film Festival, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie)

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were among the guests at the 'Nova Beach Club' who were served Champagne all through the night, and no one complained. I wouldn’t. The film’s Tarantino partied hard at the Parisian-themed party after the premiere of his Inglourious Basterds with Mike Myers, BJ Novak and Diane Kruger – who all starred alongside Brad in the thriller.

See what's coming to the theatres near you this year, but do anticipate that some of the films won't make it over the ocean this year, but might be selected by FilmFest DC next year.

(Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg, the winner of the Best Actress award for Antichrist, and director Lars von Trier)

While many films are of foreign birth, you might want to know the distribution title of the films:

• Antichrist (IFC)

• A Prophet (Sony Pictures Classics)

• Bright Star (Bob Berney and Bill Polhad)

• Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (Sony Pictures Classics)

• Drag Me to Hell (Universal)

• Humpday (Magnolia Pictures)

• I Love You Phillip Morris (Consolidated Pictures Group)

• Inglourious Basterds (Weinstein Co.)

• Looking For Eric (IFC)

• Precious (Lionsgate)

• Taking Woodstock (Focus Features)

• Tales From the Golden Age (IFC)

• Thirst (Focus Features)

• Up (Disney Pixar)

• The White Ribbon (Sony Pictures Classics)

For foreign movies in D.C, there are a few theatres and organizations that show them throughout year:

E Street Cinema

The E Street Cinema is an eight-screen luxury movie theatre in downtown Washington, DC specializing in first-run independent and foreign language films, documentaries and classic revivals.Address: Lincoln Square Building at 555 11th Street, NW, Washington, DC. Entrance on E Street between 10th and 11th Streets. Located one block from Metro Center and four blocks from the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro station (202) 452-7672.

Bethesda Row Cinema – A Maryland Landmark Theatre

The Bethesda Row Cinema is an eight-screen luxury movie theatre in Bethesda, Maryland specializing in first-run independent and foreign language films, documentaries and classic revivals.Address: 7235 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, Maryland.

National Gallery of Art

An ongoing program of classic cinema, documentary, avant-garde, and area premieres occurs each weekend in the East Building Auditorium, 4th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Programs are free of charge but seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis. Doors open approximately 30 minutes before each show. Programs are subject to change. For film calendar, click here.

Smithsonian

For the Smithsonian's comprehensive calendar of events and activities sponsored by the Smithsonian Museums, Research Centers, and the National Zoo, click here.

AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center features independent films, foreign films, documentaries and classic cinema in Silver Spring, Maryland.Address: 8633 Colesville Road,- at the intersection of Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue - in the heart of the downtown Silver Spring, Maryland and two blocks north of Metro's Red Line station.

What films are you excited to see?