The picturesque French Rivera coast is reason enough to cruise (or jet) to Cannes. But, it was another reason—the prestigious film festival—that attracted many stars, producers, and directors to the ritzy resort town. 

Penelope Cruz, Tom Hanks, Sharon Stone, Robin Williams, Zhang Ziyi (jury member), Samuel L. Jackson (jury member), Elizabeth Hurley, Natalie Portman, Jamie Foxx, Kirsten Dunst, Beyoncé Knowles, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Sir Elton John and David Furnish, and Halle Berry were some of the celebs who headed to the illustrious International Carlton Hotel to take part in the two-week celebration of international cinema.

Once there, the stars had plenty to do. From fabulous screenings to fabulous fêtes, find out how the rich and famous commemorated one of film’s most celebrated events:

Film Screenings
Donned in beautiful tuxedos and gowns paired with gorgeous jewels by event sponsor Chopard, celebs graced the Intercontinental Carlton Hotel’s red carpet before taking in numerous film screenings. Among the favorites housed at “The Palace of the Stars” were the highly-anticipated The Da Vinci Code; the Spanish adventure comedy Volver; the Mexican drama Babel; Sofia Coppola's Marie-Antoinette; the docudrama Fast Food Nation; and the French drama Flanders.

If it were up to us, we’d hand the Palme d’Or (Golden Palm) right over to Babel. Brad Pitt (who said no Cannes-do this year, citing the imminent arrival of the newest addition to his family) and Cate Blanchett were simply amazing in this heart-wrenching tale of how a gunshot in the Moroccan desert forces families living in Japan, California, and Mexico to re-evaluate the important things in life. Definitely keep this one on your Oscar® radar!

Nikki Hollywood Style 2006 Suite
Celebs in search of the ultimate star treatment found it steps away at the Salon Mediterranean. There, retreat producer Nathalie Dubois hosted an exclusive suite where guests Bai Ling, Princess Clotilde Courau, Nick Nolte, Petra Nemcova, 50 Cent, Kelsey Grammer and his wife, Michael Madsen, Brett Ratner with his X-Men cast and crew, Ethan Hawke, Sir Ian McKellen, Tara Reid, and Paris Hilton indulged in luxury goods and services from Nikki Beach, Elizabeth Grant, Frédéric Fekkai, Face Stockholm, My Look® Clip-On Extensions, LeSilla, Corleone Jeans, Energetix, Fileena, Shankari, and Ethos. Attendees left the posh salon with incredible gift bags filled with US $30,000 worth of merchandise, including dream vacations to Tahiti, the Caribbean, and Petrossian caviar.

Elizabeth Hurley Beach Fashion Show
The delicate ocean breeze, the calm, sapphire blue waters, and the white, sandy beach provided the perfect alfresco backdrop for Elizabeth Hurley to unveil her new beachwear collection.

“Cannes is about movies, but is also intrinsically associated with glamorous women,” the latest celebrity turned fashion designer said. “Starlets used to parade on the beach in bikinis, and so, for me, it is the perfect place to show my Beachwear Collection.”

Revealing butterflies were her source of inspiration for the line, the elegant actress/model showcased sexy yet cool bikinis, one-pieces, hot pants, kaftans, Capri pants, beach bags, hats, and Après Beach tops made with big, bold prints and sensual tropical colors.

These sizzling fashions were paired with Chopard jewelry the former Estée Lauder spokeswoman personally selected for the show.

“When people think of Chopard, they tend to think of huge rocks,” Hurley said with a hint of humor. “But actually, they also make some fun jewelry that looks great with casual clothes too. I really enjoyed picking out the pieces to use for the show.”

AMFAR AIDS Research Benefit Dinner
Once again, Sharon Stone put on a grand show as the actress/philanthropist served as auctioneer for the exquisite AMFAR AIDS research benefit dinner. Some of the amazing items up for bid at Le Moulin de Mougins were two Chopard rings (a stunning thumb ring and a beautiful diamond white gold band) the high-end jeweler created especially for Stone’s character in the Basic Instinct sequel Basic Instinct 2. The well-respected humanitarian drew in more than US $4 million for the non-profit organization. Celebrities Lance Armstrong, Zhang Ziyi, Robin Williams, Xin Li, David Furnish, Astrid Munõz, Amira Casar, Afef, and Samuel L. Jackson attended.

Closing Ceremony
After tending to our tan and our craving for fine French culture (including the wine and fashions), alas, it was time to bid adieu to Cannes. But before heading back to Beverly Hills, we stopped by the closing ceremony to find out who would be handed the festival’s highest honor: the coveted Golden Palm (Palme d’Or). 

POWER Magazine congratulates the following winners for their outstanding work:

• Palme d'Or: The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Ken Loach, Britain.
• Grand Prize: Flanders, Bruno Dumont, France.
• Jury Prize: Red Road, Andrea Arnold, Britain.
• Best Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel, Mexico.
• Best Actors: Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila, and Bernard Blancan, Days of Glory, Algeria.
• Best Actresses: Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Duenas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, and Chus Lampreave, Volver, Spain.
• Best Screenplay: Volver, Pedro Almodovar, Spain.
• Golden Camera (First-time director): A Fost Sau N-A Fost?, Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania.
• Best Short Film: Sniffer, Bobbie Peers, Norway.