Cannes 2023 day 1 highlights: Johnny Depp receiving standing ovation, Michael Douglas bagging Palme d'Or and more

Cannes [France], May 17 : On Tuesday, the tiny French town of Cannes turned into the world's biggest movie hall.

The 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival finally kicked off in the South of France and it saw several eye-catching moments.

Johnny Depp made a rare public appearance at Cannes for "Jeanne du Barry," a costume drama that opened the 76th edition of the film festival, variety reported.

The movie marks the actor's first leading role in three years, following his high-profile legal battles with ex-wife Amber Heard.

He received an ecstatic seven-minute standing ovation at the premiere of his film.

https://twitter.com/trulydepp/status/1658523376950837286

Depp held back tears as the crowd in the South of France erupted in prolonged applause for his performance as the King Louis XV. He waved to the audience in the balcony and seemed taken aback by the response.

The film's director and star Maiwenn also broke out into tears as she briefly took the mic. "I want to share this moment with my lover, with my producer, with Le Pacte," she said. "It was a production that was difficult to finance ... and I want to share this moment with all my team across the theater."

Depp arrived to Cannes welcomed by thousands of supportive fans, who carried signs outside the Palais and trembled as they tried to touch their idol. Many were successful in making contact with Depp, who worked the fan line outside for five full minutes before walking the carpet.

On the day one, ciniphiles also saw Michael Douglas receiving the Golden Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, in tribute to his 55-year career.

He also received a lengthy standing ovation as he cruised on stage in Bunuel theatre to chair a masterclass session where he broke down his career as an actor and producer, Deadline reported.

Opening the session, Douglas said that he has a long history with the Cannes Film Festival, which began with his father, Kirk, who met his stepmother Anna at the festival.

https://twitter.com/Festival_Cannes/status/1658539834745446419

He went on to list some of the films he has brought to the Croisette over the years, including Steven Soderbergh's pic Behind the Candelabra, which screened in 2013. Douglas said that at the time, his performance as Liberace in the pic was in the pole position to nab the Festival's Best Actor prize, but his momentum was quashed by critics who said the project couldn't be described as a feature film because it was set to be released on HBO in the US.

"There became a disagreement as to whether it was actually a movie or not," Douglas said, adding that he believes the barriers between TV and cinema will continue to fall, urging the audience not to disregard the artistic credibility of films made by streamers.

"I understand the rules of releasing in a movie theatre for at least one week. But the reality now is that streaming: They're making movies," he said. "If you're fortunate, you can get them [the streamers] to release the movie in a theatre for a week. But you cannot underestimate streaming and treat it like it's just television."

Douglas spoke at length about his relationship with Soderbergh and the process of shooting Candelabra, which was one of his first projects following his Oral Cancer diagnosis in 2010.

The opening ceremony also saw Indian divas hitting the iconic red carpet in their most stylish ways.

Actress Sara Ali Khan looked elegant and graced her presence by bringing 'Desi Glam' energy to the occasion.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsUOLH-oZ7e/?hl=en

Sara, for her debut at the Cannes red carpet, played muse to fashion designer Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and picked a stunning lehenga from the shelves of the designer. Sara opted for a traditional look for the Cannes and embraced the ethnic side.

Former Miss World Manushi Chillar made her Cannes debut in a white gown by Fovari.

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan wore a traditional veshti to the Cannes Film Festival red carpet on Tuesday.

Murugan, who is leading the Indian delegation at the prestigious film festival, inaugurated India Pavilion at Cannes.

The union minister paired his traditional white veshti with a shirt which features the national tricolour to the left and the G20 logo to the right.

"The G20 logo on my shirt represents the year-long plan of showcasing our rich heritage to the world. It's a moment of pride in representing the tricolour on a global platform like Cannes red carpet," he said.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur, who was not physically present at the festival, addressed the inaugural through a video message.He said, "I would have liked to personally be there with you all, but my work engagements do not excuse me. So here I am, making the most of technology. India is an intriguing and intricate mosaic of multicultural experiences. We take pride in being one of the oldest civilisations in the world; a melting pot of ancient knowledge, ageless architecture, remarkable heritage, timeless traditions, innumerable attractions, rich culture and creative art."

Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga also hit the red carpet on the opening ceremony.

Four Indian films will also be screened Cannes 2023- including Kanu Behl's 'Agra' and Anurag Kashyap's 'Kennedy'.