Candlelit Cannes party celebrates women in movies

CANNES, France (AP) — Cannes is not featuring any female directors this year but it does love women in film.

American actresses Jessica Chastain and Shailene Woodley were honored at an exclusive soiree at a remote hillside villa on Thursday night by the Independent Filmmaker Project, along with international stars Naomi Watts, Diane Kruger and Ludivine Sagnier.

Chastain and Woodley were still dancing around a candlelit pool strewn with petals at the Calvin Klein party into the wee hours Friday.

But, as ever with Cannes, the male of the species made an even bigger splash.

The arrival of David Schwimmer, Chris Rock and Alec Baldwin — complete with a documentary camera crew — caused as much fuss and flashbulbs as the women of the evening.