Storms lash Cannes, soaking film stars

Lashing wind and rain damaged the roof of a Cannes screening room, organisers said Monday, after soaked stars were left shivering on the red-carpet by a freak storm at the Riviera film festival. Unseasonably heavy rains beat down on the French city on Sunday night, forcing the cancellation of a 65th-anniversary fireworks display and leaving festival goers huddling under their umbrellas in puddles of water. French actress Isabelle Huppert was drenched as she climbed the red carpet for the Michael Haneke film "Love", as were the cast of the Danish thriller "The Hunt", starring heart-throb Mads Mikkelsen. Organisers had to move two film screenings from the Salle du Soixantieme, built five years ago for the festival's 60th anniversary, to repair a section of roofing, although the room was operational again by mid-morning. The weather has also caused the cancellation of a string of the open-air parties that are usually a highlight of the glitzy event. The fireworks display will be staged Tuesday night if the weather permits.