Striking Celebrity Photos Capture Elegance and Excitement at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival

Every year, the Cannes Film Festival brings together some of year’s most compelling motion pictures and their biggest stars. During the much-anticipated event, stylishly-dressed actors, actresses, and directors parade along the red carpet in front of a crowd of eager photographers. Standing among them is Vincent Desailly, who, like last year, has captured stunning black and white portraits of the attendees.

Desailly shoots the striking images from many angles, but he always finds himself a few rows back from the action. This doesn’t hamper his compositions, however, and he uses the silhouettes of those standing in front of him to frame the movie stars. It offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the festival, balancing the glamour and perfect poses with the noise, crowd, and excitement that comes with these events. We’re able to experience the rush through Desailly’s eyes. Even though most of us didn’t attend the star-studded event, it sure feels like we did.

Above: Amal and George Clooney

Ryan Gosling