The famed Golden Palm was presented once again this year on May the 27th, and a renowned stretch of French coastline played host, yet again, to a glittering, cinematic gathering. This year, the Cannes Film Festival, le Festival de Cannes, turned sixty.

In 1939, the French minister for Public Instruction and the Arts, Jean Zay, proposed a radical idea: the creation of an international festival of film in France. Zay, as well as other representatives from Western democracies, had been horrified by the manipulation of the jury of the Venice Film festival by the governments of Italy and Germany.

In establishing the Festival, Cannes was chosen as the ideal location. It was hoped its golden sands and sunshine would attract tourists and filmmakers from around the world.

And it did. Though not without its own share of problems.

On the 1st of September 1939, the stage had been set. Everything was ready, and the seaside town was eager to throw open its doors to the world.

War, which broke out the following day, interrupted the launch of the first ever festival, before it had even begun.

Finally, however, the 20th of September to the 5th of October 1946 saw the launch of the first ever festival at Cannes. Films such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious, Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast and Charles Vidor’s Gilda received prominent attention.

Since then, the film event has grown to become a truly international event, with a budget of about 20 million euros.

10 prizes are now also awarded, including Best Director, the Jury Prize, the International Federation of Film Critics Prize, Art and Essay Prize and, of course, the famous Golden Palm, the highest honour for a filmmaker in recognition of his or her work.

This year, Cristian Mungiu became the first Romanian to win the Festival's top prize. His harrowing feature about illegal abortion in communist-era Romania, entitled "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days," beat 21 other films.

Mungiu shot his feature on a budget of only $671,000.

The 2004 Festival shocked the world by awarding the Palm D’Or to Michael Moore for his politically controversial documentary Fahrenheit 9/11. The same year, a 14-year-old Japanese boy, Yuuya Yagira, won the award for the Best Actor.

Today, the Festival is a cinematic forum for world cinema and a stage for pioneering works in all styles, schools and genres.

The organizers emphasise that The Festival is dedicated to developing cinema in all its facets … through screenings, cultural events, forums, tributes and masterclasses.

The 61st Film festival at Cannes will be held from May 14 to the 25, 2008.