Attending the Cannes 2012 festival for free

Every year, the Cannes Film festival becomes the n° 1 destination for movie fans and tourists. Inevitably, the prices shoot up. But there are ways of getting tot eh festival for free and enjoying loads of VIP treatment, red-carpet screenings and other goodies.

In the run-up to the Cannes Film festival, I’ll be detailing all the competitions I can find that offer free trips as a prize. Remember that many of these will be for specific countries and with set deadlines. So read the fine print before entering.

• If you’re French, between the age of 18 and 25 and can face watching over 20 films in 10 days, why not try and become part of the Youth Jury? Deadline: March 1. Get the details at Prix de le jeunesse.
• South Africans could try their luck by watching Oscar^® nominated film at Cinema Nouveau or Ster Kinekor Theatres. Tweet your review to @nouveaubuzz or SMS “Buzz” and your review to 33007. Details on Cinema Nouveau. Deadline: April 15, 2012.

Remember, conditions apply to all offers. This list will grow over the coming few weeks. Check back frequently or follow the Cannes or Bust twitter account for instant updates. Out of interest, you could check last year’s competition.