Day 1 Highlights: Arrival and Anticipation 

May 16, 2013: It’s my first time at the Cannes Film Festival, attending as a writer/editor on behalf of Asia Pacific Arts and Audrey Magazine. I’ve been told to expect a crazy circus — as there are hundreds of screenings for both the official Film Festival and the simultaneous Film Market — and I can’t wait. – See more at: http://audreymagazine.com/author/ada/#sthash.EA2UJCwA.dpuf

Day 2 Highlights: The Past and Murmors of a Tony Leung sighting 

May 17, 2013: A dramatic day for Cannes today, including gunshots and a jewelry heist. An employee for the luxury jeweler Chopard found that a safe holding $1.4 million dollars worth of jewelry had been stolen from the four-star hotel room the night before. Ironically, Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring, about teenagers who steal possessions from celebrities, had just premiered the day before.

Day 3 Highlights: Paparazzi fail and Red Carpet rejection

May 18, 2013: After getting a quick glimpse of the beautiful beach weather that Cannes is known for on Friday, Saturday was full of storms and winds. But that didn’t stop crowds from lining up outside the theaters with their umbrellas to wait for today’s lineup of films. Perhaps the rain actually increased the popularity of the screenings, as festivalgoers preferred ducking in to theaters for shelter, as opposed to ducking into overpriced restaurants.

Day 4 Highlights: Kore-eda’s Like Father, Like Son, Bollywood on the Beach & Andy Lau 

May 19, 2013: The sun came out on Sunday, and so did… every single Asian film that I wanted to see.

Day 5 Highlights: Gala screening of Miike’s Shield of Straw

May 20, 2013: As Sunday ended with a Midnight Screening that didn’t end until almost 3am Monday morning (and an after-Andy Lau high that probably didn’t end until 5am), the next day would inevitably be less lively. So of course, no better way to start off a “less lively” day than seeing back-to-back films about Cambodian genocide and the Bataan death march after World War II.

Day 6 Highlight: Touch of Sin and Bombay Talkies

May 21, 2013: People always talk about how exhausted you’ll be at the end of Cannes, but what they don’t say is: unless you’re smart enough (or funded enough) to come several days early so you can adjust to the new time zone, you actually start Cannes exhausted.

Day 7 Highlight: The Anticipation of Gosling

May 22, 2013: No, Ryan Gosling was not there, but despite his absence, my last night in Cannes ended with a bang… plus some stabbing, gorging, and good ol’ fashion beheading. Luckily, the bloodiness was all onscreen, courtesy of Nicolas Winding Refn in his latest film Only God Forgives.