Cannes you say party?

Well, well, well! Just as I predicted, a busy weekend.

It’s a good thing I learnt early on to carry my slip-slops in my bag so I can run around the festival when I need to!

There’s been a lot of buzz around the film ‘Precious’, directed by Lee Daniels (Monster’s Ball), that’s here in Cannes, looking for distributors. It’s a very harrowing but hopeful story of a young girl who’s grown up in Harlem and is sent to an alternative school. The film is produced by Oprah and Tyler Perry and Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz both make appearances. Well, more than just appearances actually. Mariah plays a social worker and she’s actually pretty good. I’m sure many people were skeptical after ‘Glitter’, but Mariah showed she can act. In fact, I actually didn’t even recognize her when she came on screen – no make-up, hair dyed dark black and no skin showing. Not at all the Mimi we know! The actress who plays the lead role is a young first-timer named Gabby Sidibe. She’s from America but with a surname like that I have been wondering if she is not South African somewhere along the line. Mo’nique and Paula Patton are also the film. Paula is so fabulous – beautiful, funny, warm and plus she’s married to Robin Thicke.

The Bang Bang Club cast was also in town this weekend – fresh from wrapping the film earlier in the month. Ryan Phillipe was already spotted on Friday night walking the red carpet with his girlfriend Abbie Cornish for her movie ‘Bright Star’. It was great to see him and my other “co-star” Taylor Kitsch. Malin Ackerman brought along her Italian hubby Roberto, who is just so sweet. It’s also great that they were drumming up support for the film even though it hasn’t been finished yet.

With producer Danny Iron, and above, director Steven Silver - the rest you know, right?

Another fabulous party happened last night – and who should show up? But of course, the Party Girl herself, Paris Hilton. She said she was in Cannes promoting “a documentary about me”. Hmmm. Peaches Geldof and Kristin Scott Thomas were there too – think I accidentally may have bumped the Oscar-winning actress while I was on the dance-floor. The very good-looking lead actor in Jane Campion’s Bright Star Ben Whishaw was there too - as was Jane’s 14-year-old daughter. Must be great to come with your Palme D’Or-winning mom to the fest and I imagine she gets treated to all the best parties.

Paris Hilton's boyfriend checking what label she's wearing.

The gorgeous Ben Whishaw who plays John Keats in Bright Star.

Kristin Scott Thomas

This young fella stars in Nowhere Boy and Bright Star, but I couldn't place where I knew him from...then I realised it - he, Thomas Sangster, played Sam in Love, Actually. We loved him in that!

Cannes: Up and Away

I am staying on the corner of Dior and Ferragamo - almost literally! To get to the apartment where I am staying I have to see the items in these stores every day. It seems so unfair. Add to that the storefronts of Louis Vuitton and Chanel that I also have to walk past everyday...torturous for a shopaholic!

Things are easing into full swing, preparing for a big weekend ahead. Spent the day sorting out the interviews I have coming up in the next few days. I’ve also been finding out which films are set to cause a buzz here. Filmmakers and producers like to grab your attention at Cannes. Outside one of the “big 5” hotels is a giant Transformers figure. I, of course, tower above it – not!

This poster advertising Quentin Tarantino's new movie, which Brad Pitt stars in had me laughing. I can imagine tons of women walking past, shaking their heads in disagreement!

Apparently Brad and Angie were due to arrive here by now - the It couple just knows how to make the paparazzi go crazy!

Also heard the man who sold his life on ebay is here too - wonder if he is looking for a movie deal...?

Toasting with some Amarula: director John Barker has been selected by Cannes L'Atelier section of the festival to fast-track his next movie.

Cannes: Meet 'n Greet

The first official day of the Cannes Film Festival – and already there’s a nice buzz around this year’s fest. There’s a lot of talk about the impact the global financial crisis will have on the festival, and everyone you talk to has a different opinion. Most dreadful of all, is that the annual Vanity Fair party has been cancelled! That in itself is a huge sign that all is not well in Hollywoodland. But my sources tell me there is another party being planned in its place – a little more intimate and a whole lot more exclusive…

To try keep some of the festival shine and excitement, the organizers opted for something a little different in their choice of opening film – the 3D animated Pixar/Disney flick, Up, about an old man who flies away from his home with the aid of some balloons. So all throughout Cannes there were these multi-coloured bunches of balloons to promote the film.

The only major celeb sighting was the soon-to-be-former Mrs Sean Penn, aka Robin Wright Penn, who is on this year’s jury. We are introduced to this is the esteemed group of actors and directors that will decide which film will win the prestigious main prize at the end of the festival – the Palme D’Or. I wonder what Robin is feeling, knowing that this time last year she was accompanying her husband in Cannes while he was the president of the jury and reportedly cozying up to fellow jury member Natalie Portman.

So there may have been only one celeb sighting today but I now have a better idea about more potential celeb spottings. Word is, Mariah Carey is in town, promoting the film she is currently in. So clearly, Glitter wasn’t enough. Oh, and Lenny Kravitz apparently stars alongside her. And get this; the film is produced by Tyler Perry and Oprah. Just have to find out more about that one! Jim Carey’s also going to be in town for his new movie – a Disney 3D special called A Christmas Carol. And much more to come!

Forget Borat, be afraid of Bruno, Sasha Baron Cohen’s latest creation.

Calm before the storm - Cannes the day before festival...

Cannes when the filmgoers have arrived. Spot Charlize!

This year’s Cannes Film Festival poster - what is she looking at?

Back for more - Cannes you handle it?

Back in the South of France again and it feels great!
It's now down to the wire - the 62nd Cannes Film Festival kicks off tomorrow.
So, just what am I looking forward to most...?

* The possibility of meeting Jeffrey Dean Morgan, aka Denny from Grey’s, also known as cute Irish man in PS I Love You and most recently seen in Watchmen. Jeffrey is teaming up with his PS I Love You co-star, two-time Oscar-winning Hilary Swank for a new movie, which as far as I can understand is about a woman who moves into an apartment without knowing who lived there before - a thriller of sorts. They’re selling the film at Cannes, before it goes into production. I would buy it straight away – of course for the stellar acting abilities of Ms Swank, but more importantly, so I can see Denny again. Alive.

* The Cannes sighting of the Jolie-Pitts – always a star attraction. Last year, on my last day, the It Couple caused quite the stir when a then-pregnant Angelina decided to take her beau and youngest one shopping for baby clothes. Within ten minutes a huge crowd had gathered outside the tiny little baby boutique called Bonpoint, blocking the exit. It was quite funny to see, until I realized I was one of the masses who had my face squashed up against the glass window – just to see which kind of baby bootie Angie picked out.


* Meeting Robert Pattinson - not only is he gorgeous, but he is a singer too. Rob contributed to the soundtrack of the hugely successful first Twilight movie. He's giving Cannes audiences a sneak peak at the newest installment of the hit series – this one’s called New Moon. Wonder if he’s crooning any songs for this film too?

* Spotting some of the world’s best directors: Jane Campion, Pedro Almodovar, Quentin Tarantino, Lars Von Trier, et al. The festival has concentrated on premiering some new material from top auteur directors to help keep some of the event’s prestige.

The calm before the storm - the Red Carpet sans celebs...

* Hanging out with my “co-stars” from the Bang Bang Club. I’m told Ryan Phillipe, Taylor Kitsch and Malin Ackerman are going to be in Cannes, hyping up the movie as it goes into post-production, before its release around September. I played a journalist (a stretch, I know) in a scene where Taylor, who plays Kevin Carter, has just won his Pulitzer Prize. Memorable, I tell you! Co-incidentally, Ryan’s girlfriend, Abbie Cornish (who spent much time with him while he was filming in SA) also has a film at Cannes. It’s called Bright Star and is directed by Jane Campion, about the love affair poet Keats had.

* Interviewing Quentin Tarantino – the man is a legend, and he holds a special memory in my first Cannes. Mostly because comedian Kagiso Lediga, who had been in Cannes promoting the local film Bunny Chow, had provoked him with some contentious remarks. It ended well, though, as the producer of Bunny Chow managed to calm Tarantino down with an expensive bottle of champers and a copy of the film on DVD.

* Being there as the National Film and Video Foundation celebrates its tenth

anniversary in Cannes. What better time than now to ask: just how much has the foundation done to help South African filmmakers? There has been talk that some of the most recently successful films to be made in SA have had very little, if any, funding from the NFVF – why?

* The anything-can-happen vibe - truly anything can and does. One minute you’re drinking French Champagne, the next Jean Claude van Damme is playing with your hair. Or you find yourself sitting down, catching your breath from dancing, right next to Ivana Trump. Or, if you’re my actor friend Dave Kibuuka, you join a pack of photographers chasing Pamela Anderson down the promenade.

* Getting to know this year’s jury, who’ll be judging the best film for the Palme D’Or, the festival’s most prestigious prize. Last year, this year’s Best Actor winner Sean Penn, was the judge. This year, it’s French actress Isabelle Huppert. Sean’s wife Robin Wright Penn is on the panel this year...wonder if he may be along for the ride too? Wonder too, if those rumours about him and his co-juror from last year Natalie Portman are really true…?

Cannes, you beauty

Cannes Film Festival

I'm waiting to board my flight to France. I can't believe a year has flown by and already it's time for the next edition of the Cannes Film Festival. I also can't believe this will be my third time attending the fest - am getting the hang of this! I remember my first year in 2007 and how I was blown away by the sheer number of people involved in the event and the star power it attracted too. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Jake Gyllenhaal, Leonardo DiCaprio were just some of the big names I got to either talk to, or in Brad's case, wink at. The events happening around the festival are in themselves exciting too. You never know what's going to happen - or who you could bump into. During my second year, I literally bumped into the (very big) arms of Jean Claude van Damme!


So this year means another festival filled with the glitz and glam that's come to be associated with the world's most popular festival. Or does it? Will this year be totally different? Given the current economic global climate, one has to wonder what kind of effect this will have on the grande dame of festivals. Can she still keep her shine when others are losing theirs?

That question will have to be answered when I get there and experience the 62nd Cannes Film Festival for myself. Thanks to Amarula and the French Embassy!

Viva, South Africa, Viva

22 April 2009 - Election Day

Singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka gets her ID checked at St Stithians.

Linda Sambo from Grammy-winning group Soweto Gospel Choir at the Berea Rec Centre.
Multiple SAMA-nominee Lira with her inked thumb.

Loyiso queues at Weltevreden Park: "Musicians like uMama Miriam Makeba helped liberate the country so we still have a role to play today".

Isidingo's Jack Devnerain and Hlubi Mboya bump into each other at City Power's Randburg offices.

Hlubi: "I didn't even know we were neighbours!"
Jack: "I had no idea she lived down the road from me!"

Comedian David Kau comes well-prepared for his queuing experience: "I've got a tent in the car in case I need to set up my own voting station..."

Bye bye CT, Woza Jozi…

Think that’s right. It’s been a crazy couple of days – as mentioned before. Cape Town crazy.

Have lost a bit of my voice, which is not good for radio, but that’s what happens when you try to keep up with Snow Patrol at the Coke Zero Fest. Missioned to Lourensford Wine Estate for the event yesterday. The hour-long drive there was so worth it, though. The backdrop against which some fine bands took to the stage was just breathtaking. When the camera panned across the crowds so that we saw a view of what the artists on stage saw, with the mountains in the background, I thought to myself, this must truly be one of the most scenic places they had ever performed before.



Unfortunately, I missed many of the local acts as I had an interview with Snow Patrol at their hotel. I did get to see the Dirty Skirts and Aking rock out. Heard Cassette and Zebra and Giraffe were on top form. Panic at The Disco played many of their hits off their first album, which has those fabulous little ditties with choruses like “I chimed in with, haven’t you people ever heard of / closing the goddamn door – no!” The diminutive sized band packed a punch.

Oasis were cool enough. And I do mean, cool. Liam Gallagher sauntered on stage and pulled an expression that said, you want some of this, huh? Well, you can’t have any of it. Most of the crowd around me chatted amongst themselves through most of the set – with one guy even relieving himself right there in the crowd, through his cargo pants. When the Brit rockers got onto Wonderwall, the crowd sang in unison. Momentum grew, and the band moved onto Don’t Look Back in Anger and Champagne Supernova. Beautiful.

The darlings of the night had to be Snow Patrol though. They gave everything they had in their performance – just as I heard they did in Joburg. Wow! Lighting, video projections, and most importantly, the heart-fuelled passionate singing of Gary Lightbody. This man wooed Cape Town and had them in the palm of his hands. From the moment the group’s Take Back The City shone up on the screen and the names of all the places they had performed flashed upon the screen – “…and now Cape Town” the band could do no wrong. They played for over an hour – slow-burning ballads, fast-pumping war-cries. With the charismatic Lightbody at the helm of it all. Absolutely LOVED when they did Run and the whole crowd sang the chorus, Lightbody’s face lighting up at the sight. Crack the Shutters, Chasing Cars, and You're All I Have were other highlights.



Met two band members at the interview – drummer Jonny and the gorgeous Nathan, who seemed to be suffering a little from a cold. Great interview in which they told me their plans to climb Table Mountain and go shark cage diving. Panic at the Disco were also a friendly lot. Spencer showed me photos of the game drive they’d been on – and saw four of the big five.

Cape Town Craziness

It seems Miss Ntertainment needed a few days to come down from all the excitement and mad rush of the past few days - tee hee!

The A-list-celeb-filled opening of Sol Kerzner's One & Only hotel...the CT International Jazz Festival...not to mention spending some time on the set of The Bang Bang Club film in Jozi just before jetting off to the Mother City.

The One&Only...

Ever since Sol Kerzner opened his lavish Atlantis resort in Dubai, this was the next big party on the hotel tycoon's calendar. So after an early morning flight, I arrived in my second home, Cape Town. But it felt a little different...for one thing, being whisked off in a car to the hotel with my Chanels perched comfortably on my face made me feel like one of the A-list stars I was expecting to see at the bash later.

Of course my aspirations of stardom quickly disappeared upon arrival, as I tried to make sense of all the buzz so that I could put together some news reports for the afternoon bulletins. I found a great angle when I heard Madiba was arriving. He is of course, the A-list of A-listers ;-)



When he got out the car and greeted Sol, he said:

"I am looking for a job and heard you could help."

Ever as charming!



By now you'll have known what went down but I still wanted to catch up on what happened after the soundbites and photoshots.

As the night started to really get swinging, all the artists and A-listers moved to the venue down the stairs and towards the back of the hotel. There, the space became an intimate jazz club. I remember everything that happened that night through the tweets I posted:

big party now-top musos jamming. Mariah Carey up next?
7:40 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

sharon stone is videoing jonathan butler singing
7:45 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

where did the cute eastwood son go?
7:46 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

felicia mabuza suttle singing along to no woman no cry
7:49 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

jonathan butler brought the house down!
7:54 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

morgan freeman is in the house!
7:54 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

robert de niro sipping saki
7:55 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

patti austin is breaking it down
7:59 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

matt damon gives dave kroz a standing ovation
8:02 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

found Cute Eastwood and lost him again
8:03 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

jam session!
8:28 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

hugh masekela just dedicated a song to the late Miriam Makeba
8:31 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

marisa tomei is grooving to hugh's grazing
8:35 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

ah matt damon dancing with his wife-so cute
8:52 PM Apr 2nd from mobile web

I tried to take a video...it's dark but you can hear Sharon Stone and Marisa Tomei responding to Bebe Winans' call of "Are you ready? Will upload asap!