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The Guide to Film Festivals
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes, France in May
Top prize: Palme d’Or
History: The first Cannes Film Festival took place in September 1939, but it didn’t happen again until after World War II. The Palme d’Or prize was introduced in 1955. The festival became established during the 1960s and is now known as the world’s most important and influential film festival.
Did you know? About 20 feature films compete each year for the Palme d’Or. Previous winners include Michael Moore and Quentin Tarantino. Unlike the Oscars, the top prize is frequently shared between two films. Famous films that have won the Palme d’Or include Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, La Dolce Vita and The Third Man. The festival attracts more than 40,000 people every year.
Venice Film Festival
Venice, Italy in August/ September
Top prize: Golden Lion
History: The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival still in existence. The film festival was in 1932 and it attracted over 25, 000 people. The festival did not appear again until 1934, when there was a competition between 19 countries. The festival was held three times during World War II and has been held almost every year since then.
Did you know? Films at the 61st Venice Film Festival in 2004 were nominated for 16 awards at the Oscars — the highest ever for the festival. These films included Vera Drake, Shark Tale, Collateral and Finding Neverland.
The London Film Festival
London, UK in October/ November
Top prize: Non-competitive
History: The London Film Festival started in 1956 when a group of film critics led by the famous Dilys Powell, the film critic for The Sunday Times, got together over dinner. They discussed the festivals at Cannes and Venice, and they agreed that London needed one, too. They wanted to give people the opportunity to see films from around the world that were not being shown in the cinemas. The first festival showed 20 films at the National Film Theatre on the South Bank.
Did you know? The festival is one of Europe’s largest public film events, screening about 280 films from 60 countries. Although it is non-competitive, the British Film Institute awards the Sutherland Trophy to the most original and imaginative first feature film screened at the festival.
1. The Venice Film Festival____
A. didn’t attract many people at first
B. has been running longer than any other film festival
C. is regarded as the most essential film festival
D. has been held every year since 1934.
2. What was the purpose of the London Film Festival at the beginning?
A. To make some films public. B. To bring film critics together.
C. To choose the best original feature films. D. To compete with other film festivals.
3. What does the underlined word “screening” in the last paragraph mean?
A. producing B. watching C. judging D. showing
【答案】1. B 2. A 3. D
【解析】
这是一篇应用文。文章主要介绍了一些电影节的相关细节，并且对其发展史以及相关的获奖情况进行了说明。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据第二个History部分的内容“The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film still in existence.”（ 威尼斯电影节是现存最古老的电影）可知，威尼斯电影节的历史最悠久。故选B。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。根据第三个History部分的内容“The London Film Festival started in 1956 ......They wanted to give people the opportunity to see films from around the world......”（ 伦敦电影节始于1956年，……他们想让人们有机会看到不在电影院上映的世界各地的电影。）可知，在1956年一些电影评论家希望伦敦也有电影节，希望人们有机会看到没有在电影院播放的世界各地的电影。故选A。
【3题详解】
词句猜测题。根据划线词前面的部分“The festival is one of Europe’s largest public film events”（这个电影节是欧洲最大的公共电影活动之一）和划线词后的部分screening about 280 films from 60 countries（来自60个国家的280部电影）以及上文“The first festival showed 20 films at the National Film Theatre on the South Bank.”（第一次电影节在南岸的国家电影院放映了20部电影）可知“screening”的意思是是“放映、播放”。故选D。
