Cannes on a shoestring?

It's do-able. What's needed is some ingenuity, insider info, patience, and a bow tie. In pics

Film buffs and aspiring but broke movie directors who lack the dough to pay for the sky-high prices for a hotel room or park their yacht next to the red-carpeted steps during the Cannes Film Festival need not give up hope.

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Cannes on a shoestring is possible, but it's not for the fainthearted.

All that's needed is some ingenuity, insider knowledge, patience, and a bow tie and you should have a chance of making it into the sought-after film previews and glittering parties.

First things first: forget the 5,000-odd local hotel rooms, which are as difficult to find as gold dust and just as expensive. Instead, be prepared to rough-it in campsites or pile into dormitory-style hostel accommodation in and around Cannes.

The lodging certainly isn't luxurious but they are clean and very cheap by French Riviera standards.

And who knows, you might even find yourself next to eccentric Danish film director Lars von Trier who scooped the coveted Palme d'Or award in 2000 with Dancer in the Dark and whose latest movie Manderlay is in competition this year.

That's if he manages to overcome his dislike of travelling and drives down again to the festival in his camper van, which he parks in the local campsite.

The 30-euro a night hostels in the nearby city of Nice, just a cheap 40-minute train ride away, are also a great option, said New York Internet film blogger Eric Lurio.

There are also hostels in Cannes itself, just a short walk away from the seafront Palais des Festival where the stars sashay their way up the legendary festival carpet twice a day. But priced at just 35 euros per person a night, the beds are much in demand so fans need to reserve in advance.

The cheapest option of all is the local campsites.

One word of warning though: Even in these warm, southern climes, spring is unpredictable and the odd, sudden downpour can make life under canvas a bit uncomfortable, not to mention travelling to and from the festival in evening garb.

These drawbacks weren't enough to put off hardy Scottish college leavers Jonathon Horner and Zoe Ginter. Their roomy mobile home in nearby Biot is costing them 400 euros for a fortnight's stay.

This is way more than the seven euros a night cost of pitching a tent. But its much more comfortable and "we're saving a fortune by making our own meals," they said.

Food in this up-market, sophisticated resort town can also prove pricey. With the cheapest two-course meal without drinks in a cafe starting at 10 euros, the cheapest options are sandwich bars and an unusually up-market and well-located MacDonald's that comes complete with a sun terrace and is in the thick of the festival action.

The last and arguably the trickiest hurdle is how to get in to the hundreds of film screenings that run throughout the 12-day long cinema extravaganza.

While technically restricted to badge-wearing VIPs and cinema professionals, intrepid visitors can get into some screenings and even bluff their way into some of the glamorous parties that set the normally rather staid resort jumping into the early hours.

The best thing is to concentrate on the sidebar events that can still offer some great viewing experiences. Lots of patience might be needed though as lines for tickets can be long.

Tickets to The Director's Fortnight that includes short and feature films both in and out of the main competition can be bought from an office next to the Noga Hilton hotel for just six euros per film or 27 euros for six films.

Movie lovers can also queue at the Tourist Office at the Palais des Festival for free passes to the huge outdoor cinema that's held each night on the Mace Beach right across from the Majestic Hotel.

This vast outdoor movie theatre projects feature films that aren't competing for the main prizes as well as in-competition short films and big movie hits from the past.

As film experiences go, the Mace beach seems to be a big hit with the hundreds of film lovers who settle back in their deck chairs and snuggle under the blankets supplied by organisers to keep out the chilly Cannes spring night air.

"It was very surreal watching a film in front of a yacht-filled bay but it was really cool," enthused Horner.