I’ve just re-read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, in preparation for the Festival de Cannes opening night on the 15^th May. I may have to wait until June to see Baz Luhrmann’s film myself, but I’m ready in spirit for this year’s festival. Throughout May, Rialto Channel is celebrating this prestigious festival by screening award-winning films that have premiered on the Riviera, and here are a few of my favourites showing this week.

During May, Rialto Channel is all about the Festival de Cannes. Throughout the month, I’ll be on screen introducing you to an eclectic collection of award-winning and critically-acclaimed feature films that have screened in competition at Cannes recently.

The doors are open! Just occasionally on Rialto Channel, we like to share some of the award-winning and critically-acclaimed feature films and documentaries that show everyday on the channel with ALL direct, domestic SKY basic package subscribers. If you are one of these subscribers then you’ve got until April 30^thto watch Rialto Channel, so tell your friends and family and enjoy the last couple of days!

Here are a few of my picks for the week...

Jeremy Thomas, one of the most successful independent producers of our time, produced A Dangerous Method, and it is one of the extraordinary number of critically acclaimed, individual and daring films with which he has been involved. He’s an Academy Award winner who has spent the last forty years working with auteurs such as Cronenberg, Nagisa Oshima, Bernardo Bertolucci, Wim Wenders and Nicolas Roeg, just to name a few.

Just occasionally on Rialto Channel, we like to share some of the award-winning and critically-acclaimed feature films and documentaries shows everyday with all direct, domestic SKY basic package subscribers. From April 26^th to April 30^th anyone with SKY* can watch Rialto Channel, and if you subscribe in April, you get your first month for half price**.

Here are a few of the highlights you’ll be able to enjoy...

It was announced a month ago that Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby will open the Festival de Cannes on May 15^th, bringing a touch of 1920s American glamour to the Riviera.

It’s not the first time Luhrmann has opened Cannes, his musical extravaganza Moulin Rouge had the same privilege in 2001. The opening night film doesn’t screen “in competition” at the Festival, which is possibly why it’s becoming common for big budget Hollywood films to get the honour. Pixar’s UP opened the festival in 2009, followed by Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood in 2010.

The publicity generated from being the opening night film can make up for missing out on an award. Woody Allen and Wes Anderson have recently used the profile to help successfully launch their films Midnight in Paris and Moonrise Kingdom.

Another week and another varied collection of films! This week Werner Herzog, last seen as the villain in Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher flick, takes us deep into the Cave of Forgotten Dreams in his remarkable documentary about ancient prehistoric cave drawing. We also cross the Wild West in the startling Meek’s Cutoff, and then head to China for The Lost Bladesman, a historical action epic that in many ways is the Asian version of the American western flick. Here are my picks for the week...

This Saturday, Rialto Channel is screening actress Vera Farmiga’s directorial debut Higher Ground. It’s a work of great subtlety and depth, and hopefully marks a new phase in Farmiga’s career.

It got me thinking about whether actors make good directors, and, while the Academy didn’t agree with the rest of Hollywood about Ben Affleck’s directing ability this year, I would have to say that yes they do....