Cannes
Cannes Film Festival
For more than 60 years, the French Riviera has played host to a festival that Jean Cocteau described as “an apolitical no-man’s-land ... what the world would be like if people could contact each other directly and speak the same language”. It is one of the oldest, most prestigious and most glamorous of film festivals. The thriller Blindness, based on the novel by Nobel Prize-winning author José Saramango, opens this year’s festival, which also sees the premiere of Woody Allen’s highly anticipated Vicky Cristina Barcelona and the short film Love You More, directed by artist Sam Taylor-Wood, with a script by Closer writer Patrick Marber and produced by the late Anthony Minghella. But it isn’t all about the awards. Public masterclasses in directing, acting and film music composition are given by renowned artists. Those taking part this year have yet to be confirmed, but previous experts have included directors Oliver Stone and Martin Scorsese, composer Patrick Doyle, and actress Catherine Deneuve. Cinéma de la Plage, intended to “bring Cannes to the masses”, is an al fresco beach theatre that will be screening films from the competition and a programme of Cannes Classics. There are also exhibitions of cinematic photography, symposiums and exclusive screenings.
www.festival-cannes.fr

Amsterdam
John Everett Millais
A last chance to see the first exhibition since 1898 to cover all aspects of the career of John Everett Millais, “the foremost painter of the English Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood”. The exhibition explores the evolution of Millais’ work, including his “primitive” and “confrontational” paintings as well as his famous society portraits and evocative landscapes. There are also major works that have been unavailable for public viewing for many years, including “Sisters” (1868), which depicts Millais’ three daughters. Also on display is possibly the artist’s most famous piece, “Ophelia” (1852). The celebrated image of the drowned young woman, ornamented with flowers, conveys “a subtle interplay of mystery, a highly refined technique, and subdued drama”. The exhibition closes on May 18.
www.vangoghmuseum.nl

Reykjavik
Reykjavik Arts Festival
May 15 sees the opening of the Reykjavik Arts Festival, a three-week celebration of culture and experimentation that has boasted artists such as Björk, John Cage and Luciano Pavarotti in its 30-year history. This year’s festival features the music of string quartet Amiina, possibly best known for collaborations with Icelandic band Sigur Rós; Facing China, a collection of sculptures and paintings by nine prominent contemporary Chinese artists; and a collaborative production from two of Scandinavia’s most distinguished dance companies – Icelandic Dance Company and the Norwegian Company of Contemporary Dance. One of the festival’s most exciting and intriguing events must be Experiment Marathon Reykjavik, organised by London’s Serpentine Gallery. The Reykjavik Arts Museum will be transformed into a creative laboratory where specialists in many disciplines, ranging from film-makers to architects, can develop an “environment of invention” involving performances, installations and experimental films. Artists involved in the Marathon project include David Adjaye, Olafur Eliasson and Brian Eno. The festival continues until June 5.
www.artfest.is

Prague
Prague Spring International Music Festival
Featuring an array of symphony orchestras, chamber music ensembles and prominent musicians. The Prague Festival Orchestra presents classic works as well as world premieres of pieces by many contemporary composers, both Czech and international. Virtuoso pianists Rudolf Buchbinder and Sonning Award winner Alfred Brendel will be appearing. Buchbinder’s recital will include Beethoven’s Pathetique as well as 33 Variations on a Theme by Diabelli. Thursday night sees an evening exploring the “dialogue between the human voice and strings” in the former St Anne’s Church in Prague’s picturesque old town, combining medieval polyphonic vocal music and instrumental solos. The evening also features pieces by Peter Graham, Petr Eben and Jirí Bárta. The festival runs from May 12 to June 4.
www.festival.cz

San Fransisco
Gilbert & George
Gilbert Proesch and George Passmore’s controversial work encompasses a wide range of ideas and tries to reach beyond the traditional art world, promoting their philosophy of “art for all”. In this, the largest retrospective ever organised (by Tate Modern, London), more than 50 pictures – some on an enormous scale – chart the development of the artists’ careers. The De Young Museum is the first venue the exhibition will visit on an American tour, and will be displaying the work until Sunday.
www.famsf.org

Brussels
Kunstenfestivaldesarts
The Kunstenfestivaldesarts – so cool it doesn’t need spacing – takes place over three weeks in theatres and exhibition spaces around Brussels. This year’s festival features premieres of works by choreographers Aydin Teker and Bruno Beltrão, and artists such as Dan Perjovschi, Benjamin Verdonck and New York-based Noah Fischer, noted for his “four-dimensional lo-tech installations” and collaborations with various theatre-makers and musicians. The festival will be the first chance to see the work of Japanese choreographer and dancer Zan Yamashita in Europe. His previous works include Sailors and It’s just me Coughing, winner of the Kyoto Art Center’s theatre award. Other highlights include the premiere of performance artist Kris Verdonck’s END, which depicts the final stages of society. The festival runs until the end of May.
www.kfda.be