This prestigious jazz festival is held annually in the town of Nice in eastern France near the Italian border. Since its beginnings in 1948, the Nice Jazz Festival has welcomed artists such as Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Diana Krall. The Jardins de Cimiez is an old stone monastery turned venue with an outdoor amphitheater and additional stage. The festival also features a historic parade with over 250 musicians in attendance. According to the festival website, this event has made jazz a part of life in Nice, its roots are strong and the town is giving birth to new artists.
The Festival De Cannes is an international film festival held in Cannes, France. It was started by Jean Zay, Minister of Education and Fine Arts, with its first festival held in September of 1946. Right away, the Festival De Cannes became an esteemed event with film stars in attendance such as Cary Grant, Kirk Douglas, Grace Kelly and Romy Schneider. Today it is also an award ceremony dedicated to celebrating international film, short film, master cinema and production. The board of directors considers all films that, in their viewpoint, are representative of art house cinema.
This Paris festival is held in celebration of contemporary art. The Paris city and regional councils along with the Ministry of Culture and Communication support this event along with its sponsors. All forms of art are featured including visual arts, theater and dance, cinema and mixed-media presentations. There are more than 40 proceedings associated with this festival held between September and December of each year. Guests must purchase separate tickets for each event. The festival brochure clearly lays out each event and what type of art is featured.
In 1947, this festival was established in celebration of Jean Vilars stage adaptation of "Murder in a Cathedral" by T.S. Eliot. Since that time, it has been transformed into a celebration of contemporary painting and sculpture. It occurs every summer at the Palace of the Popes in Avignon. Hortense Archambault and Vincent Baudriller are the directors of the festival. According to the event website, they have launched a campaign to infuse the festival with local character. The objective of the event is to provide a different perspective on the modern art scene.