The Cannes Film Festival begins on Wednesday 13 May but amid all the glitz and glamour, many people will be wondering why it's all such a big deal.

So for those who know that the extravaganza involves movies, but not much else, allow us to answer some of your most burning questions.

Where is Cannes?

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Cannes is a city located on the French Riviera in the South of France. It is a luxurious place known for attracting the rich and famous. The festival itself takes place at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres.

When is the festival held?

The film festival is an annual event, with the 68th taking place from 13 to 24 May this year. You can only attend if you are invited, sorry folks.

What is the point of the festival?

Cannes previews new films and documentaries from a range of genres across the world and is renowned as one of the most prestigious film festivals.

When did Cannes begin?

The festival was founded as the Festival du Film de Cannes in 1947, with sixteen countries presenting films. It has its origins in the late 1930s, however, when the French Minister of National Education, Jean Zay, set up an international cinematographic festival.

What is the Palme d’Or and why is it such a big deal?

The Palme d’Or (Golden Palm) was created in 1955 to replace the Grand Prix du Festival (the Grand Prize). It is the highest accolade up for grabs at the festival.

There are two Palme d’Ors awarded each year - one for feature film and another for best short film - but when people refer to the prize, they usually mean the former.

The Palme d’Or is presented in a case of blue Moroccan leather with a white suede lining. The palm itself is made of 24-carat gold, hand cast into a wax mould and laid on a cushion of cut crystal.

French director Agnes Varda will become the first female filmmaker to receive the honourary Palme D’Or at this year’s closing ceremony.

What are the opening and closing films?

French drama Standing Tall will open the ceremony after being chosen for how its themes respond to the Charlie Hebdo shootings. Luc Jacquet’s Ice and the Sky has been selected to close Cannes for drawing attention to the future of the planet.

Who are the main contenders this year?

Sci-fi comedy The Lobster, starring Rachel Weisz and Colin Farrell, is definitely one to watch from Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos. It’s set in a hotel in a dystopian future, where the residents must find a spouse within 45 days to avoid being turned into wild animals.

Then there’s The Here After, about a young jail-bird’s return to society; Youth with Michael Caine as a retired conductor; drama Our Little Sister about four sisters sharing their late grandmothers house and mob thriller Sicario.

What major hits have won the top prize in the past?

Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Turkish drama Winter Sleep won the Palme d’Or last year, with Blue is the Warmest Colour triumphing in 2013.

Michael Moore’s controversial documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 took it in 2004, Roman Polanski’s The Pianist was crowned victor in 2002 and Quentin Tarantino had a hit with Pulp Fiction in 1994. Then there was the Coen Brothers’ Barton Fink in 1991and Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver in 1976.

David Lean’s Brief Encounter won the Grand Prix in 1946 and the first ever winner was Cecil B DeMille with Union Pacific.

Shape Created with Sketch. Cannes 2014 in pictures Show all 57 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Cannes 2014 in pictures 1/57 Cannes 2014 Jane Fonda arrives on the red carpet for the Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony Getty Images 2/57 Cannes 2014 Model Irina Shayk attends 'The Search' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival 3/57 Cannes 2014 Quentin Tarantino dances with Uma Thurman as he arrives at Cannes AFP/ Getty Images 4/57 Cannes 2014 John Travolta, US actress Uma Thurman and US director Quentin Tarantino pose as they arrive for the screening of the film 'Sils Maria' AFP/Getty Images 5/57 Cannes 2014 Model Rosie Huntington Whiteley during the festival in Cannes 6/57 Cannes 2014 Cast of the "Lost River": (L-R) Reda Kateb, Matt Smith, Ian De Caestecker, Christina Hendricks and director Ryan Gosling attend the photocall during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival 7/57 Cannes 2014 Director Ryan Gosling attends a photo call for "Lost River" at the 67th international film festival in Cannes 8/57 Cannes 2014 Ryan Gosling and Christina Hendricks pose during the photocall for "Lost River" at the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 9/57 Cannes 2014 Adriana Lima attends 'The Homesman' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 10/57 Cannes 2014 Hilary Swank poses as she arrives for the screening of 'The Homesman' at the 67th international film festival in Cannes 11/57 Cannes 2014 Freida Pinto attends 'The Homesman' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 12/57 Cannes 2014 Mel Gibson attends 'The Expendables 3' Official Cast Dinner Party at Gotha Club in Cannes 13/57 Cannes 2014 Wesley Snipes and Antonio Banderas attend 'The Expendables 3' Official Cast Dinner Party at Gotha Club in Cannes 14/57 Cannes 2014 Jennifer Lawrence attends 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' photocall at the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 15/57 Cannes 2014 Valentina Paloma Pinault (Salma Hayek's daughter) attends the 'Saint Laurent' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 16/57 Cannes 2014 Aymeline Valade attends the 'Saint Laurent' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 17/57 Cannes 2014 Eva Longoria poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Saint-Laurent' at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 18/57 Cannes 2014 Freida Pinto poses on the red carpet as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Saint Laurent' in competition at the 67th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 19/57 Cannes 2014 French director Lisa Azuelos (L) and French actress Julie Gayet (R) hold a sign reading '# Bring Back Our Girls' as they arrive for the screening of 'Saint Laurent' during the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival 20/57 Cannes 2014 Blake Lively attends the 'Captives' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 21/57 Cannes 2014 Hofit Golan attends the 'How To Train Your Dragon 2' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 22/57 Cannes 2014 Rosario Dawson poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Captives' at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 23/57 Cannes 2014 Blake Lively (L) laughs on the red carpet with Rosario Dawson as they arrive for the screening of the film 'Captives' at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 24/57 Cannes 2014 Blake Lively attends the Premiere of "Mr. Turner" at the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 25/57 Cannes 2014 US actress Blake Lively poses as she arrives for the screening of the film "Mr. Turner" at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 26/57 Cannes 2014 Sonia Rolland attends the "Timbuktu" premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 27/57 Cannes 2014 Sonia Rolland poses as she arrives for the screening of the film "Timbuktu" at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 28/57 Cannes 2014 Former Russian real TV contestant Elena Lenina poses as she arrives for the screening of the film "Mr. Turner" at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 29/57 Cannes 2014 Fatoumata Diawara attends the "Timbuktu" premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 30/57 Cannes 2014 Julianne Moore arrives for the screening of 'Mr Turner' during the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival 31/57 Cannes 2014 Actress Rosario Dawson kisses Mireille Enos as they attend the "Captives" photocall during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 32/57 Cannes 2014 Cate Blanchett and Adele Exarchopoulos pose onstage at the Chopard Trophy during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 33/57 Cannes 2014 French actress Alice Taglioni arrives at the Cannes opening ceremony Getty Images 34/57 Cannes 2014 Actress Frederique Bel attends the Opening ceremony Getty Images 35/57 Adele-Exarchopoulos.jpg 'Blue is the Warmest Colour' actress Adele Exarchopoulos Getty Images 36/57 Cannes 2014 Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi attends the opening ceremony Getty 37/57 Cannes 2014 'Amelie' Actress Audrey Tautou on the red carpet at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images 38/57 Cannes 2014 French actress Laetitia Casta poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images 39/57 Cannes 2014 Actress Zoe Saldana attends the Opening ceremony and the 'Grace of Monaco' Premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images 40/57 Cannes 2014 Model Karlie Kloss poses at the Opening ceremony and the 'Grace of Monaco' Premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival on 14 May, in Cannes, France. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images 41/57 Cannes 2014 'Grace of Monaco' cast and crew: (from left to right) Paz Vega, Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, director Olivier Dahan, Jeanne Balibar, Pierre Ange Le Pogam and Geraldine Somerville Getty Images 42/57 Cannes 2014 Elena Lenina attends the Opening Ceremony Getty Images 43/57 Cannes 2014 US actress Blake Lively poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images 44/57 Cannes 2014 US model Karlie Kloss poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images 45/57 Cannes 2014 French actress and member of the Un Certain Regard Jury Geraldine Pailhas poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images 46/57 Cannes 2014 Model and TV personality Kendal Jenner at the Opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival on 14 May, 2014 in Cannes, France. Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images 47/57 Cannes 2014 (Left to right) Jury members, US director Sofia Coppola, Iranian actress Leila Hatami, French actress Carole Bouquet, Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal, New Zealand director Jane Campion, Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon, Chinese director Jia Zhangke and US actor Willem Dafoe arrive for the screening of 'Grace of Monaco' and the Opening Ceremony of the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival. EPA/SEBASTIEN NOGIER 48/57 Cannes 2014 US actress Jane Fonda poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes Getty Images 49/57 Cannes 2014 Jury member Masami Nagasawa attends the welcome Cocktail party for jury members Getty Images 50/57 Cannes 2014 Jury member Gael Garcia Bernal attends the welcome Cocktail party for jury members Getty Images 51/57 Cannes 2014 Nicole Kidman dances with French actor and Master of Ceremony Lambert Wilson during the Opening Ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images 52/57 Cannes 2014 Jury members Leila Hatami and Nicolas Winding Refn Getty Images 53/57 Cannes 2014 Director Alfonso Cuaron attends the Opening ceremony Getty Images 54/57 Cannes 2014 Actress Nicole Kidman on the red carpet at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival Ian Gavan/Getty Images 55/57 Cannes 2014 Photographers line up to photograph the Grace of Monaco cast on the red carpet Getty Images 56/57 Cannes 2014 Spanish actress Paz Vega attends a preview of 'Grace of Monaco' Getty Images 57/57 Cannes 2014 Jury member Sofia Coppola Getty Images 1/57 Cannes 2014 Jane Fonda arrives on the red carpet for the Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony Getty Images 2/57 Cannes 2014 Model Irina Shayk attends 'The Search' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival 3/57 Cannes 2014 Quentin Tarantino dances with Uma Thurman as he arrives at Cannes AFP/ Getty Images 4/57 Cannes 2014 John Travolta, US actress Uma Thurman and US director Quentin Tarantino pose as they arrive for the screening of the film 'Sils Maria' AFP/Getty Images 5/57 Cannes 2014 Model Rosie Huntington Whiteley during the festival in Cannes 6/57 Cannes 2014 Cast of the "Lost River": (L-R) Reda Kateb, Matt Smith, Ian De Caestecker, Christina Hendricks and director Ryan Gosling attend the photocall during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival 7/57 Cannes 2014 Director Ryan Gosling attends a photo call for "Lost River" at the 67th international film festival in Cannes 8/57 Cannes 2014 Ryan Gosling and Christina Hendricks pose during the photocall for "Lost River" at the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 9/57 Cannes 2014 Adriana Lima attends 'The Homesman' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 10/57 Cannes 2014 Hilary Swank poses as she arrives for the screening of 'The Homesman' at the 67th international film festival in Cannes 11/57 Cannes 2014 Freida Pinto attends 'The Homesman' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 12/57 Cannes 2014 Mel Gibson attends 'The Expendables 3' Official Cast Dinner Party at Gotha Club in Cannes 13/57 Cannes 2014 Wesley Snipes and Antonio Banderas attend 'The Expendables 3' Official Cast Dinner Party at Gotha Club in Cannes 14/57 Cannes 2014 Jennifer Lawrence attends 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' photocall at the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 15/57 Cannes 2014 Valentina Paloma Pinault (Salma Hayek's daughter) attends the 'Saint Laurent' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 16/57 Cannes 2014 Aymeline Valade attends the 'Saint Laurent' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 17/57 Cannes 2014 Eva Longoria poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Saint-Laurent' at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 18/57 Cannes 2014 Freida Pinto poses on the red carpet as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Saint Laurent' in competition at the 67th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 19/57 Cannes 2014 French director Lisa Azuelos (L) and French actress Julie Gayet (R) hold a sign reading '# Bring Back Our Girls' as they arrive for the screening of 'Saint Laurent' during the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival 20/57 Cannes 2014 Blake Lively attends the 'Captives' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 21/57 Cannes 2014 Hofit Golan attends the 'How To Train Your Dragon 2' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 22/57 Cannes 2014 Rosario Dawson poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Captives' at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 23/57 Cannes 2014 Blake Lively (L) laughs on the red carpet with Rosario Dawson as they arrive for the screening of the film 'Captives' at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 24/57 Cannes 2014 Blake Lively attends the Premiere of "Mr. Turner" at the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 25/57 Cannes 2014 US actress Blake Lively poses as she arrives for the screening of the film "Mr. Turner" at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 26/57 Cannes 2014 Sonia Rolland attends the "Timbuktu" premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 27/57 Cannes 2014 Sonia Rolland poses as she arrives for the screening of the film "Timbuktu" at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 28/57 Cannes 2014 Former Russian real TV contestant Elena Lenina poses as she arrives for the screening of the film "Mr. Turner" at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 29/57 Cannes 2014 Fatoumata Diawara attends the "Timbuktu" premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 30/57 Cannes 2014 Julianne Moore arrives for the screening of 'Mr Turner' during the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival 31/57 Cannes 2014 Actress Rosario Dawson kisses Mireille Enos as they attend the "Captives" photocall during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 32/57 Cannes 2014 Cate Blanchett and Adele Exarchopoulos pose onstage at the Chopard Trophy during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes 33/57 Cannes 2014 French actress Alice Taglioni arrives at the Cannes opening ceremony Getty Images 34/57 Cannes 2014 Actress Frederique Bel attends the Opening ceremony Getty Images 35/57 Adele-Exarchopoulos.jpg 'Blue is the Warmest Colour' actress Adele Exarchopoulos Getty Images 36/57 Cannes 2014 Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi attends the opening ceremony Getty 37/57 Cannes 2014 'Amelie' Actress Audrey Tautou on the red carpet at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images 38/57 Cannes 2014 French actress Laetitia Casta poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images 39/57 Cannes 2014 Actress Zoe Saldana attends the Opening ceremony and the 'Grace of Monaco' Premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images 40/57 Cannes 2014 Model Karlie Kloss poses at the Opening ceremony and the 'Grace of Monaco' Premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival on 14 May, in Cannes, France. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images 41/57 Cannes 2014 'Grace of Monaco' cast and crew: (from left to right) Paz Vega, Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, director Olivier Dahan, Jeanne Balibar, Pierre Ange Le Pogam and Geraldine Somerville Getty Images 42/57 Cannes 2014 Elena Lenina attends the Opening Ceremony Getty Images 43/57 Cannes 2014 US actress Blake Lively poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images 44/57 Cannes 2014 US model Karlie Kloss poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images 45/57 Cannes 2014 French actress and member of the Un Certain Regard Jury Geraldine Pailhas poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images 46/57 Cannes 2014 Model and TV personality Kendal Jenner at the Opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival on 14 May, 2014 in Cannes, France. Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images 47/57 Cannes 2014 (Left to right) Jury members, US director Sofia Coppola, Iranian actress Leila Hatami, French actress Carole Bouquet, Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal, New Zealand director Jane Campion, Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon, Chinese director Jia Zhangke and US actor Willem Dafoe arrive for the screening of 'Grace of Monaco' and the Opening Ceremony of the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival. EPA/SEBASTIEN NOGIER 48/57 Cannes 2014 US actress Jane Fonda poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes Getty Images 49/57 Cannes 2014 Jury member Masami Nagasawa attends the welcome Cocktail party for jury members Getty Images 50/57 Cannes 2014 Jury member Gael Garcia Bernal attends the welcome Cocktail party for jury members Getty Images 51/57 Cannes 2014 Nicole Kidman dances with French actor and Master of Ceremony Lambert Wilson during the Opening Ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images 52/57 Cannes 2014 Jury members Leila Hatami and Nicolas Winding Refn Getty Images 53/57 Cannes 2014 Director Alfonso Cuaron attends the Opening ceremony Getty Images 54/57 Cannes 2014 Actress Nicole Kidman on the red carpet at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival Ian Gavan/Getty Images 55/57 Cannes 2014 Photographers line up to photograph the Grace of Monaco cast on the red carpet Getty Images 56/57 Cannes 2014 Spanish actress Paz Vega attends a preview of 'Grace of Monaco' Getty Images 57/57 Cannes 2014 Jury member Sofia Coppola Getty Images

What are the awards categories?

The Official Selection is the festival’s main event and could be called ‘the line-up’. This is divided into the following categories:

Competition – 20 films in the running for the Palme d’Or, shown in the main Theatre Lumiere.

Un Certain Regard – 20 films chosen from around the world that often display debuts and experimental techniques

Out of Competition – Films that do not compete for the Palme d’Or due to not fitting the criteria, but the committee wants to recognise

Special Screenings – Films shown in a specially-adapted environment, chosen by the committee

Cinefondation – Shots and medium-lengths exclusively from film students worldwide

Short Films – These compete for the Short Film Palme d’Or

Are there specific criteria?

Films for Competition, Out of Competition and Un Certain Regard must have been produced in the 12 months prior to the festival. They cannot have been presented internationally in any way, including at any international film festivals or online.

Films must also comply with this official rule: “The spirit of the Festival de Cannes is one of friendship and universal co-operation. Its aim is to reveal and focus attention on works of quality in order to contribute to the progress of the motion picture arts and to encourage the development of the film industry throughout the world.”

Feature films can be as long as they like but short films must be 15 minutes max.

Who judges the submissions?

Thousands of films are submitted to Cannes each year and a selection committee watches every single one. The entries are cut down to make the Official Selection (see above).

There are two main juries: one for feature films and another for short films and Cinefondation. Un Certain Regard and the Camera d’Or (best first-time film) are also chosen by juries. There is a jury president, which last year was Jane Campion. This year the role will be shared between two people, Joel and Ethan Coen, for the first time. They won the Palme d’Or in 1991 for Barton Fink.

Judges vote by secret ballot and the majority wins. The Coen brothers will each get a separate vote. Jurors are invited by the selection committee and are all people in the film industry (usually directors and actors). No juror can have a film in competition and there will be a total of nine jurors.

Interestingly, juries have the freedom to create awards depending on the movies in competition. Samuel L Jackson was the first to win a best supporting actor prize for Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever in 1991, for example.

Who is the lady in the Cannes 2015 poster?

Swedish Hollywood actress Ingrid Bergman is the star of the official festival poster. David Seymour’s photograph pays tribute to Bergman for her contribution to film shortly after what would have been her 100th birthday. Bergman is known for Golden Age movies such as Casablanca, Spellbound and Notorious. She was Cannes jury president in 1973.