The best of Cannes

A stroll down the red carpet is all in a day's work for Natalie Portman. But she turned up in Cannes this time as a director, rather than actress, to present "A Tale of Love and Darkness." Portman was born in Jerusalem and her directing debut is based on the autobiographical memories of Israeli writer Amos Oz. Here are more celebrity highlights from Cannes.

Traditionally, the France is well represented with films in Cannes. After all, the festival takes place on its own soil. The same holds true for French actors and actresses. Isabelle Huppert, starring in "Louder than Bombs," made a red carpet appearance with director Joachim Trier.

"Mad Max: Fury Road" by Australian director George Miller premiered early on at the festival on the same day as its international release. Leading actress Charlize Theron, a ray of sunshine in her glowing Valentino gown, is a head taller then Miller (left) and actor Tom Hardy.

Cannes is indisputably the most popular film festival for photographers. Nowhere else - neither in Berlin, nor in Venice, nor at the major North American festivals - is the media interest is so intense. And countless stars and starlets ensure that the photographers never run out of work.

Beyond doubt, one of the highlights of the contest for the Palme d'Or has been the American film "Carol," in which Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara play a lesbian couple. The film, based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith, takes place in the 1950s and Features an exquisite period backdrop.

The most beautiful combination of colors can be experienced not only in the movies shown in Cannes. Explosion of color can also happen on the red carpet - especially when actress Salma Hayek is walking on it. This year, Hayek was one of the most photographed women.

This team led by director Asif Kapadia presented the documentary "Amy" in Cannes. It retraces the wild life of the late singer Amy Winehouse, who died four years ago at the age of 27. The highly acclaimed film examines the Impact of drugs and alcohol on the star.

While many of the jetsetting celebrities traveled a long way to get to Cannes, they're not dozing off in this picture, but awaiting the opening film, "La Tête Haute." It stars French actress Catherine Deneuve, who is seated to the far left. But now, after a few days of after-parties, most of them could probably use a nap.

The gentleman in the middle may pretend to be totally uninvolved, but Woody Allen is one of the biggest stars of world cinema. His latest coup, "Irrational Man," was shown ouside of competition. It has been hailed by critics as one of his best films yet. The director is here accompanied by actresses Emma Stone and Parker Posey.

The press tends to focus on the main attractions and overlooks the side shows tend. But sections like "Un Certain Regard" and "Quizaine the Fortnight" often offer hidden gems. Past Palme d'Or winners are shown there - this year the new film by Apichatpong Weerasethakul from Thailand.

The latest work produced by Pixar has received lots of applause. The high-tech animated film "Inside Out," directed by Pete Docter, tells the story of an 11-year-old girl and her dreams shown in a very direct manner by Docter and his cinema-computer. In "Inside Out," emotions have been turned into characters.

Who willto take home the Palme d'Or and the Silver Palms? That will be decided once again by a top-class jury headed by the brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. They're joined in the Jury by Xavier Dolan, Rossy de Palma, Guillermo del Toro and Sophie Marceau.

The sun is shing on France's Mediterranean coast this year, though that hasn't always been the case. Rain has been known to weigh down a few oversized gowns. In between the screenings and premieres this week, visitors can can catch a few rays on the beach or in the bars before the hype draws to a close on Sunday, May 24.