The year begins with Cannes: it's not only the cinematic start of 2009, it's also a springlike rebirth for the ever more converging worlds of fashion, celebrity and culture. For over six decades, everyone interested in fame, glory and artistic vision has flocked to Cannes, where photographers like Helmut Newton have focused their eye on the decadent and the brilliant. Although Sundance is held in January, that festival has lost its punch in a sea of swag and studio-released ''independents.'' And while the Academy Awards, with their attendant glamour, are typically given out in late February, the Oscars always celebrate films from the year gone by. With few exceptions, there is a cinematic dead zone from January through April. Even fashion seems to be dozing, and by May, celebrity publications like Us Weekly and Hello! are starved for red-carpet dazzle. And then there's Cannes, with its artistic ambitions, beautiful stars and unabashed luxury. The beauty of the festival is that it combines mass entertainment with work from the farthest corners of international filmmaking, and it showcases this melange in a theater set against the sparkle of the Mediterranean. The Palais des Festivals attracts (among others) brilliant auteurs, fashion designers, aspiring actresses, Eurotrash playboys, serious artists, hustling producers, avid fans and, of course, journalists. To ascend the red-carpeted steps of the Palais, everyone must be dressed in black tie. Which means that even the paparazzi are required to wear black bow ties and dark suits. If not, the gendarmes will refuse them entry. The dress dictates the mood, and Cannes always has the feel of an occasion, of a moment in the making. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]