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At the Cannes Film Festival, These Screenings Are on the Beach

On a warm afternoon in late April, La Croisette hummed with life. Families pushed strollers along the boardwalk, children trailed behind with dripping ice cream cones, and tourists posed for selfies silhouetted against the Mediterranean. At Plage Macé, a centrally-located public beach, people tanned, played volleyball and went for a dip. For the next two […]

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4 weeks ago

May 13, 2025

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For the next two weeks, Plage Macé has been transformed into an outdoor theater, outfitted with a massive movie screen — nearly 80 feet by 20 feet — and an elaborate sound system, with 600 deck chairs available on a first-come-first-served basis.

This is Cinéma de la Plage, the Cannes Film Festival’s free program of nightly film screenings. At a film festival notorious for its exclusivity, this is one event where everyone is welcome, no matter who they are — or how they are dressed.

“Cinéma de la Plage is evidence that the Cannes Film Festival never forgets it has to remain a cultural and popular event,” Thierry Frémaux, the festival’s artistic director, explained in an email.

Camilla Amelotti works at a children’s attraction, Les P’tits Bateaux (The Li’l Boats), directly in front of Plage Macé. In between selling souvenir magnets and handing out remote controls for miniature yachts, she described Cinéma de la Plage as an accessible alternative to the festival’s indoor screenings, especially for film-loving locals.

“It’s really nice,” said Amelotti, 28. “You just have to have time to go and the patience to wait to get in.” She added that for many people who work in the tourism industry, the film festival is the busiest time of year.

Ilona el-Hasnaoui, 26, has a front-row seat to Cinéma de la Plage from behind the counter of Kiosque 9 Bis, a gleaming white food stand with a turquoise awning situated directly in front of Plage Macé. Hasnaoui is the store’s manager and often stays until closing time — 1 a.m. during the festival — so she steals glances at the screen while serving sandwiches and crepes.

She said that business picked up during the nightly screenings. “People can see the movie from here,” she said, indicating the space directly in front of her kiosk. “They get their food here and they sit behind the railing,” she said, noting that no food or beverages were allowed on the beach during the films and that deck chairs were a precious commodity. “There are many, many people. If you want a seat, you need to wait.”

Cinéma de la Plage is officially part of Cannes Classics, the festival section devoted to film history that was started in the early 2000s. Frémaux, who has worked at Cannes since 1999 and became festival director in 2007, said his desire to inaugurate a free, outdoor program stemmed from personal experience.

“When I was just a festivalgoer, I wasn’t always able to get into the movie theaters and I thought it would be a good idea if the festival offered something completely different to the public, especially in the evenings,” he said. “When I took over, I suggested we hold a daily event on the beach.”

Given the festival’s unique location on the French Riviera, it may seem hard to believe that movies on the beach were never a major part of the event during its first 50 years. (Frémaux pointed to some earlier one-off events, including an apocryphal midnight screening of Hans-Jürgen Syberberg’s “Parsifal,” a four-hour-and-fifteen-minute film version of Richard Wagner’s opera, which ended with breakfast on the beach at dawn.)

While classics, often presented in fresh restorations, dominated the early Cinéma de la Plage programs, these days the lineup also includes cult and contemporary offerings, as well as sneak previews of films about to hit French cinemas and even the occasional world premiere.

Because this is Cannes and a high percentage of the world’s major filmmakers congregate here during festival time, it’s not uncommon for directors to pop over to present their films if they’re programmed in Cinéma de la Plage.

Frémaux reminisced about Quentin Tarantino showing up with Uma Thurman to introduce a 35-millimeter print of “Pulp Fiction” in 2014, and Jackie Chan arriving by boat for a screening of his 1982 kung fu classic “Project A” for its 40th anniversary in 2012.

“And there was Agnès Varda, who in the rain convinced the audience to stay by talking to them for several minutes before the film,” he said of the French director’s “One Sings, the Other Doesn’t,” which was screened during the memorably wet 2018 edition of the festival. Beyond films, Cinéma de la Plage has also hosted concerts, dance parties and even karaoke.

This year’s lineup features films by John Woo, Nanni Moretti and Terrence Malick; a new restoration of King Vidor’s 1946 western “Duel in the Sun” undertaken by Martin Scorsese; and a new documentary about Brigitte Bardot.

“Cinéma de la Plage is a brilliant idea, brilliantly executed,” said Peter Bradshaw, the chief film critic for The Guardian, who has attended the Cannes Film Festival since 1999.

“And I think it’s a very good thing for Cannes to do,” he added, “because Cannes is sometimes criticized for being too closed off and elitist.”

And while there is undeniable excitement whenever a world premiere takes place at Plage Macé (as with “F9,” the ninth film in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, in 2021) Cinéma de la Plage provides especially inspiring conditions for seeing a classic foreign or art house film.

“On occasion you can get to see ‘8½’ at some repertory movie theater, but it’s a rare thing to see it on the biggest possible screen,” Bradshaw said, referring to the 1963 Federico Fellini film, which screened here on the beach in 2014. (He fondly recalled seeing “Jaws” — the ultimate beach movie — on Plage Macé in 2013).

While accredited journalists and film industry members — including those who find themselves locked out of other festival screenings — turn up at Cinéma de la Plage, the program is particularly valuable for locals who have comparatively few opportunities to see other films at the festival. (No tickets are sold to any of the festival screenings, which require hard-to-come-by invitations for the public. A limited number of these are made available to Cannes residents).

“It’s a chance for the festival to reach out to the town, to reach out to the Côte d’Azur generally,” Bradshaw said.

Beyond all that, however, Cinéma de la Plage also provides a striking visual. The image of its majestic screen, silhouetted against the sea and sky, has become an indelible part of the festival’s image.

“It looks so great as a spectacle in itself, on the beach, especially as night falls,” Bradshaw said. “Even if you’re not going to a movie there and just walking up and down the Croisette, which is a signature experience of being at Cannes.”

Plage Macé is only three hundred yards from the red carpet. And yet, with the sound of the waves and the smell of the sea, you might as well be light-years away from the glamour, adrenaline and stress that are otherwise inescapable at the event. Leaning back in your deck chair, this can feel like the best seat at the festival — in the sand, under the stars.

“Of course, Cannes is the biggest festival in the world, of course there’s a market, there’s media pressure, the competition, the awards,” Frémaux said.

“But for everyone,” he added, “going to the beach is a way of not forgetting that, in essence, cinema is all about a silver screen, a crowd and a film.”

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New WWE NIL class includes sons of Mark Henry and Scott Steiner

John Cena warns media, he will ruin wrestling, he is the last real champion in WWE After making history at WrestleMania 41, John Cena warns the media that he will ruin wrestling and he is the last real champion in WWE Some wrestling royalty will be part of the next group of potential WWE stars. […]

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June 8, 2025

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Some wrestling royalty will be part of the next group of potential WWE stars.

WWE has revealed the fifth class of its Next In Line (NIL) program, USA TODAY Sports confirmed, with 12 former college athletes making the jump to the ring with the hope of one day being on the company’s roster. The class was finalized the same night as Money in the Bank 2025 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

The 12 athletes come from across the country and played various sports, from football to hockey to lacrosse. The names that will stand out in the class are Oklahoma football player and wrestler Jacob Henry, the son of former World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry. Also on the list is former Jacksonville State receiver Brock Rechsteiner, the son of former world champion Scott Steiner. His uncle is Rick Steiner and his cousin is current WWE star Bron Breakker.

WWE new NIL class

Brock Rechsteiner (Jacksonville State, football)
Jacob Henry (Oklahoma, football and wrestling)
Meghan Walker (Nebraska, track and field)
TJ Bullard (Central Florida, football)
Madison Kaiser (Minnesota, hockey)
Garrett Beck (Grand Canyon, lacrosse)
Kerrigan Huynh (University of Central Oklahoma, track and field)
Fatima Katembo (LSU Shreveport, basketball)
Bianca Pizano (Michigan State, field hockey)
Gina Adams (Lynn University, basketball)
Hidetora Hanada (Colorado State, football)
Zuriel Jimenez (Columbia University, track and field)

What is the WWE NIL program?

Established in 2021, WWE introduced the NIL program as a way to identify future stars and prepare them for a career in wrestling. WWE sought college athletes through NIL deals. Former Miami basketball players Haley and Hanna Cavinder were part of the program.

While not every person that entered the program has turned out to be a WWE star, some have not only made rosters, but have turned out to be successful in the ring. That includes NXT Champion Oba Femi and NXT Tag Team Champion Tank Ledger.

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Wyoming Valley Conference Volleyball Coaches All-Star Team – Wilkes-Barre Citizens’ Voice

Offensive Player of the Year: Josh Rocha, Holy Redeemer Defensive Player of the Year: Luke Joseph, Crestwood Coach of the Year: Jeff Stec, Crestwood First Team: Josh Rocha, Holy Redeemer; JJ Stec, Crestwood; Jack Wasiakowski, Holy Redeemer; Gino Gualandi, Delaware Valley; Jordany Rodriguez Disla, Wilkes-Barre Area; Luke Peereboom, Delaware Valley; Carlos Guzman, Berwick; Zachary MacBain, Tunkhannock. […]

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June 8, 2025

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Offensive Player of the Year: Josh Rocha, Holy Redeemer

Defensive Player of the Year: Luke Joseph, Crestwood

Coach of the Year: Jeff Stec, Crestwood

First Team: Josh Rocha, Holy Redeemer; JJ Stec, Crestwood; Jack Wasiakowski, Holy Redeemer; Gino Gualandi, Delaware Valley; Jordany Rodriguez Disla, Wilkes-Barre Area; Luke Peereboom, Delaware Valley; Carlos Guzman, Berwick; Zachary MacBain, Tunkhannock.

Second Team: Jackson Matash, Berwick; Kendrick Ortiz, Hazleton Area; Tom McLaughlin, Crestwood; Carter Brunn, Dallas; Davyn Piatt, Hanover Area; Zachary Zubritski, Greater Nanticoke Area; Brady Rushton, Greater Nanticoke Area; Eric Choi, Delaware Valley.

Honorable Mention: Grant Nielsen, Delaware Valley; Reylie Ramirez, Wilkes-Barre Area; Max Mohutsky, Holy Redeemer; Ireneo Panecatl, Hanover Area; Evan Thomas, Hazleton Area; Jack Greening, Delaware Valley; Zachary Koons, Crestwood; Christopher Miller, Dallas; Clark Groth, Crestwood; Carlos Tecotl, Valley West; Zabwon Welch, Valley West.

First Team Defense: Luke Joseph, Crestwood

Second Team Defense: Derek Romero, Valley West

Honorable Mention Defense: Jose Carinna, Wilkes-Barre Area

Originally Published: June 8, 2025 at 12:00 AM EDT

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Vianney one win from Class 5 baseball title; Summit falls in semifinal

Vianney senior Mike Altobella (1) celebrates after a triple during a Class 5 semifinal baseball game on Friday, June 5, 2025 at the Ozark Mountain Sports Complex in Ozark, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch OZARK — Vianney and Platte County advanced to the Class 5 baseball state final with victories Friday in the semifinal round at Ozark […]

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June 8, 2025

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Vianney vs. Marshfield — Vianney senior Mike Altobella (1) celebrates after a triple during a Class 5 semifinal baseball game on Friday, June 5, 2025 at the Ozark Mountain Sports Complex in Ozark, Mo.

Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch

OZARK — Vianney and Platte County advanced to the Class 5 baseball state final with victories Friday in the semifinal round at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex.

Vianney defeated Marshfield 8-3 in the first Class 5 semifinal game, and Platte County downed Summit 6-1 in the second contest in games that were delayed due to scattered thunderstorms.

Vianney (38-1) and Platte County (28-8) will play at 1 p.m. Saturday in Class 5 final.

The Griffins are in the state championship game for the first time since 2018, when they won the Class 5 title. Platte County is back in the state title game for the first time since winning it all in 2022.

Summit (26-8) and Marshfield (25-12) will square off in the third-place game at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Here are a few observations from the pair of semifinal games.

Big inning carries Vianney

Marshfield nearly wriggled off the hook early against Vianney.

Griffins senior catcher Mike Altobella made sure it couldn’t.

Altobella smashed a two-run triple down the left field line to break open the game in the first inning.

“I went into the box looking for a fastball and knew the lefty didn’t throw that hard, so I was sitting and wanting to be on time for the fastball,” Altobella said. “If he tried to spin something at me, it’s slow, I’ll be on time. Mindset was hit a ball and hit it hard and be on time.”

The Griffins finished the opening inning with five runs on five hits to pounce all over Marshfield.

This came right after Vianney wriggled out of its own jam, ending a bases-loaded threat with a 4-6-3 double play in the top half of the first.

“As soon as we were in the field with one out and baes loaded, everyone was down a little bit, it wasn’t a good feeling, but we got the momentum back and from there, we were able to work with that,” Altobella said. “That was a huge momentum shift.”

Altobella went 1-for-3 at the plate with those two RBI, while fellow senior Trey Jozwiakowski went 2-for-3 with two RBI for the Griffins.

It’s the 18th game this season Vianney has scored eight or more runs.

Dohrmann shakes off early woes

Griffins senior starter JD Dohrmann’s final stat line looked sterling, but it didn’t start that way.

With the rain falling around him, the senior struggled through his first two innings.

“I wish I could blame it on the rain, but I was struggling through the first two innings,” Dohrmann said. “I didn’t have my stuff. They came out swinging and props to them for having a game plan and sticking to it.”

Through the first two innings, he gave up two runs on four hits and walked one batter.

In the final 4 2-3 innings, he gave up a lone hit and struck out six to close out his line of 6 2-3 innings, six strikeouts and two runs on five hits.

“I kind of thought some things through and got with my catcher and executed a game plan,” Dohrmann said.

Dohrmann handed the ball off to senior Noah Steffan, who pitched the final third of an inning to send Vianney to the Class 5 championship.

“We’ve got the biggest game of the year, but we’re going to try it like any other day,” Dohrmann said. “We’ll go out, we’re 0-0 now and one game left.”

Summit vs. Platte County — Summit freshman Grant Dinges (3) catches the throw down during a Class 5 semifinal baseball game on Friday, June 5, 2025 at the Ozark Mountain Sports Complex in Ozark, Mo.

Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch

Summit can’t find the big hit

Summit coach Jason Schneider couldn’t fault his team’s fight.

The ball just never seemed to find a hole in Platte County’s defense.

“I thought our guys prepared very well. The hits didn’t show it, that’s for sure, but (Kaden Dinges) hit absolute barrels,” Schneider said. “Just got to keep playing the game the right way and it’ll reward you. It didn’t reward us today and that’s just the way it is sometimes.”

Summit only mustered two hits against a parade of Platte County pitchers.

The Pirates threw three different pitchers at the Falcons on Saturday, with junior Brooks Hall going the longest over the final three innings.

Dinges provided Summit’s lone RBI with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to break up the shutout.

Senior pitcher Gabe Sieve kept the Falcons in the game.

The senior went 5 1-3 innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits and seven strikeouts.

“He did fine and competed well,” Schneider said. “There were plays that should have been made out there behind him. Congrats to Platte County. They were the better team today. One has to go on the right side of the bracket, and unfortunately, we were on the other side of that today.”

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North Allegheny boys right ship, get past Penn-Trafford in PIAA Class 3A volleyball quarterfinals

By: Josh Rizzo Saturday, June 7, 2025 | 7:45 PM Josh Rizzo | For TribLive North Allegheny’s Brendan Moore, center, gets a piece of the ball while attempting to block at the net with Ryan Dyga during a PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal Saturday at Peters Township High School. Josh Rizzo | For TribLive Penn-Trafford middle […]

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June 8, 2025

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Josh Rizzo

Saturday, June 7, 2025 | 7:45 PM

8576560_web1_gtr-volley2-060824 — Josh Rizzo | For TribLive

North Allegheny’s Brendan Moore, center, gets a piece of the ball while attempting to block at the net with Ryan Dyga during a PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal Saturday at Peters Township High School.

8576560_web1_gtr-volley1-060824 — Josh Rizzo | For TribLive

Penn-Trafford middle hitter Owen Gisi comes off the bench to celebrate with his teammates during a timeout in the second set of a PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal Saturday at Peters Township High School.

8576560_web1_gtr-volley4-060824 — Josh Rizzo | For TribLive

Penn-Trafford boys volleyball outside hitter Connor Evangeliste pushes a shot past North Allegheny’s Matthew LaMay during a PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal Saturday at Peters Township High School.

8576560_web1_gtr-volley3-060824 — Josh Rizzo | For TribLive

North Allegheny’s Garen White puts up a block while waiting for Penn-Trafford’s Caiden McDonald’s striked during a PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal Saturday at Peters Township High School.

North Allegheny boys volleyball coach Dan Long said he didn’t want the Tigers to look at themselves as a finished product Saturday.

A surprising result during the second set of a 3-1 win over Penn-Trafford during a PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal at AHN Arena provided some clarity on why they have to stay sharp.

The Tigers dropped the second set by 13 points, something Long said he didn’t think had ever happened to him during his volleyball career.

“It felt like a Jekyll-and-Hyde situation,” Long said. “When we are handling the ball well in serve-receive, we are tough to beat. That showed itself in sets one, three and four. I thought they did a great job in set two of creating their serve, and it put us on our heels.”

North Allegheny won the match 25-17, 12-25, 25-16, 25-17 to march into the state semifinals for the first time since 2022. The Tigers will take on District 3 runner-up Central York on Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.

Penn-Trafford (14-8) putting a scare into North Allegheny (17-1) wasn’t something Warriors coach Jim Schall may have envisioned a month ago. The Warriors finished third in their section and the WPIAL before upending District 6 champion State College to reach the state quarterfinals for the second time in school history.

The Warriors beat North Allegheny in 2016 in their only other appearance.

“We just kept playing,” Schall said. “It wasn’t something we thought about, if we could be top eight or top four. We kept playing. It’s unusual for a team that loses some, they are ready to quit, but these guys put a lot into the end of the season.”

Connor Evangeliste lit the fire for the Warriors in the second set. He got a kill early in the frame and had a strong run at the service line. He took over with a 9-4 lead and helped the Warriors run off seven consecutive points.

“Connor has an amazing run of serves,” Schall said. “Overall, the team competed better after game one. I was happy with how competitive we were.”

North Allegheny senior outside hitter Elijah Braun, who finished with six kills, said the Tigers knew they had to play better.

“It was a smack in the mouth,” Braun said. “It was what we needed to humble ourselves. Nothing can be taken for granted in the state playoffs.”

North Allegheny controlled most of the fourth set. Penn-Trafford was able to battle back and cut the score to 16-14 and 18-16 on kills by Evangeliste. However, both times Braun was able to deliver a kill to push the Tigers’ lead back to three.

“I just wanted to swing hard and make a momentum play so everyone could ride that energy,” Braun said. “Penn-Trafford is a big energy team. I like having the energy on our side.”

Penn-Trafford again challenged the Tigers in the fourth set after falling behind early. North Allegheny surged out to a 4-0 lead, but Penn-Trafford narrowed the deficit to 10-9.

After a timeout by the Tigers, Brendan Moore responded with a kill that sparked a 6-2 run. Moore had 12 kills for North Allegheny. Will Robertson led the Tigers with 13 kills.

Moore said he thought the Tigers adjusted well after the second set.

“I think we got a little too comfortable in the first set,” Moore said. “We needed to try and find our groove again.”

Tags: North Allegheny, Penn-Trafford

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High school highlights: Shaler boys volleyball earns semifinals berth over Brandywine Heights

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