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VIP private jet travel is all about exclusivity, luxury, and a refined sense of elegance. While these traits are used to elevate travel through private charter experiences, they’re also on display in abundance at the Cannes Film Festival. Little wonder, then, that attendees from industry professionals, celebrities, and influencers to cinephiles and luxury travel enthusiasts make use of private aviation to attend this legendary event each year.
With such a blatant connection between private jet services and Cannes, it might seem straightforward enough to navigate without the use of a VIP guide such as this. Whichever camp of attendee you fall into, though – from corporate client to die-hard cinema fan – there are some insider tips that can make an already incredible experience truly memorable.
The Main Event
The Cannes Film Festival has been held annually in early spring since 1946, today counting itself as the jewel in the crown of “big five” events on the global film calendar. The prestige and exclusivity of this cinephilic celebration can hardly be overstated, as the hordes of photographers that cover it and the invite-only nature of some of its events make clear.
For those lucky enough to have a ticket, exclusive screenings, workshops, and panel discussions await, along with a whole range of other things that focus not only on Hollywood and commercial cinema, but also on indie filmmakers and up-and-coming talents. This makes Cannes a hotbed of activity for industry professionals and enthusiasts, where the next big things meet old hands and an air of creativity always looms.
When you attend, keeping your ear to the ground and focusing not only on blockbusters and established franchises, but also on lesser-known talent can be a great way of maximising your time there. In so doing, you’ll come away with an appreciation of where the artform is headed and who the stars of the future will be, ensuring not just a great Cannes experience but also a prescient knowledge of what’s to come in the world of film.
Access
Cannes is unique among film festivals in terms of how it allocates access to events. The festival’s ticket office requires accreditation to book, which comes in four forms.
Festival accreditation
This is the domain of industry professionals, where filmmakers, actors, set designers and so on are permitted access to the ticketing platform from which they may elect to attend. If you’re unsure of whether you qualify, contact the festival directly to secure your ticket before opening day.
Market accreditation
This form of eligibility entitles those who work for or are otherwise connected with the vast network of businesses that compose the film industry to purchase tickets. For those who don’t work directly with film but still enable the creatives of the industry to do their work, market accreditation is a way of recognising their contribution and allowing them to attend.
Press accreditation
What use would the stunning outfits and headline-grabbing antics of those who attend Cannes be without journalists there to photograph them in action? Press accreditation is exactly what it sounds like – a way of ensuring that Cannes remains one of the world’s most intensively covered media events for years to come!
Cinephile accreditation
This is Cannes’ way of giving back by allowing local residents to attend the festival, thanking them for putting up with the chaos that ensues for a week each year when the world’s cameras and celebrities descend on this small French city. This form of accreditation is also open to international attendees that can demonstrate involvement in some form of cinephile activity – film clubs, school groups, cultural associations and the like.
For those who don’t fit the above criteria, don’t despair! There’s also the “three days in Cannes” accreditation, where young cinephiles ages 18–28 can apply to attend the event by providing a small letter of motivation.
VIPs
It’s safe to say that Brad Pitt won’t be applying for accreditation prior to sitting in the queue for tickets, and there are others who attend Cannes on an exclusive basis that are able to dispense with the formalities via the usual avenue. VIP guests are invited to Cannes every year to make the event what it is – ranging from the glitterati to the deep pockets that help keep the industry as extravagant as ever.
Whether you’re on this list or are a VIP in your own field, there are a range of exclusive experiences that might draw your attention away from the festival proper. Yacht parties, private beach events, exclusive lounges… everything that one might expect from an event that draws together elite attendees from around the world is available with ease at Cannes – the difficult part is deciding what to do!
For those looking to enhance their professional status as well as enjoy the experience, the VIP events at Cannes serve as the perfect opportunity for some inter-industry networking. Nowhere else on earth will you find as concentrated a gathering of the movers and shakers within the world of film, so if you have aspirations of climbing the ladder then it pays to hold off on the martinis and really focus on making an impression on those who you hope to meet down the road.
Logistics
Where to stay
Luxury accommodation with concierge services available to take you to and from the red carpet are a must for any Cannes attendee. Amidst a host of potential venues for your stay, there are two that stand out: a luxury hotel on the doorstep of the event, or a secluded villa in the stunning countryside of southern France. The strengths of either choice are clear, and whichever you decide to opt for you’re guaranteed elite service and luxury befitting the status of this event.
For a citybound stay, look for hotels and apartments as near as possible to the harbour, where the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, in which the event is held, is located. The Carlton Cannes, Le Majestic, or JW Marriott are all beachfront-facing luxury affairs, and all within walking distance to the festival. While not strictly necessary, there really is no substitute for being in the heart of the action.
When it comes to staying outside Cannes itself, you’re left with a lot more choice depending on your budget. At the higher end, luxury villas replete with private chefs, helicopter transfers and elite concierges are readily available, offering the perfect complement to a truly memorable time spend attending the festival.
Getting there
As far as getting to Cannes is concerned, there’s no such duality of choice: private jet rental is the clear winner. That’s because when you attend a luxury VIP event such as this, air charter services are the common-sense solution whichever way you look at them.
If you’re networking, you want to leave a lasting impression – what better way to do so than by arriving in style? If you’re holidaying, why would you not want to make the experience as special as can be? If you’re part of a corporate group, is it worth leaving your co-passengers at the whims of commercial travel when private jet charter is available?
Roll Credits
With an idea of how to secure entry, a few facts swirling around about the event itself, and some key tips in mind when it comes to where you’ll be staying you’re almost ready to set foot on the red carpet and enjoy Cannes – all that remains is to organise transport.
Whichever way you slice it, aircraft rental through a reputable charter broker like Skyllence makes sense when you’re attending an event as prestigious as Cannes. Not only do they enhance the experience itself, but they also streamline the entire booking process to make it as straightforward as possible. Contacting them with your requirements gets the ball rolling behind the scenes, leaving you free to focus on other things while their logistics experts see to the details, as Skyllence’s CEO, Vilma Vaitiekunaite points out.
“For some clients, it’s not the VIP private charter experience itself that appeals, nor the luxury, flexibility and convenience of the aircraft charter solutions we offer. Instead, they come to us for private jet rental because they know that we can be trusted to deliver with minimal input from their end. We receive the details of their aircraft rental requirements and then, quite simply, get on with arranging everything, leaving them free to round out their trip secure in the knowledge that they’ve locked in luxury when it comes to their travel solutions.”
