IN PHOTOS Cannes Film Festival opening

The 79th edition of the world-famous Cannes Film Festival officially opened in Cannes, France, with celebrities, filmmakers and fashion stars arriving for one of the entertainment industry’s biggest annual events. The opening ceremony on Tuesday night transformed the French Riviera into a global center of cinema, luxury fashion and international media attention.

The Cannes Film Festival will run from May 12 to May 23 and features some of the most anticipated films of the year competing for the prestigious Palme d'Or award. This year’s festival opened with the French period film The Electric Kiss by director Pierre Salvadori, while South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is serving as president of the main competition jury.

The opening red carpet quickly became one of the biggest talking points online as major Hollywood and international celebrities appeared in designer outfits and couture gowns. Actress Demi Moore attracted major attention in a sparkling strapless Jacquemus gown paired with luxury jewelry. Moore is also serving as one of the festival jury members this year.

Indian actress Alia Bhatt also made headlines during the opening ceremony with her glamorous appearance on the Cannes red carpet. Fashion critics and entertainment media praised her elegant couture look, which quickly became popular across social media platforms.

Other celebrities attending the opening night included Heidi Klum, Jane Fonda, Ruth Negga, Joan Collins and filmmaker Chloé Zhao. International stars from Europe, Asia and Hollywood arrived throughout the evening, creating one of the festival’s most star-studded opening nights in recent years.

Fashion remained one of the biggest highlights of the evening. Cannes organizers recently introduced stricter dress code rules banning overly revealing outfits and extremely large gown trains on the red carpet. Despite the restrictions, celebrities still delivered dramatic fashion moments with luxury brands including Dior, Gucci, Saint Laurent, Armani and Elie Saab strongly represented at the event.

The festival is expected to feature premieres from several major directors and actors over the next two weeks. Films connected to directors such as Pedro Almodóvar, Steven Soderbergh and Ron Howard are among the most anticipated projects scheduled during the event.

Beyond cinema, Cannes continues to remain one of the world’s most influential fashion and celebrity events. Every year, luxury brands, entertainment companies and global media organizations use the festival as a major platform for publicity, film promotion and international networking. Millions of viewers around the world follow the red carpet appearances, celebrity interviews and fashion moments throughout the festival.

This year’s festival is also honoring legendary filmmaker Peter Jackson and entertainment icon Barbra Streisand with special Honorary Palme d'Or awards for their contributions to global cinema.