Date: 96-05-09 12:59:43 EDT
 
          By John Follain
          CANNES, France (Reuter) - As an adjunct to star-gaping on
the seafront Croisette boulevard, film buffs can surf the
Internet to track comings and goings at the world's biggest and
glitziest film festival.
          The official website (http:/www.festival-cannes.fr) has a
mercenary slant, with an online boutique (poster, T-shirts and
sundry trinkets) among the main features. The ``interactive
festival'' slot turns out to be a quiz game on film history,
with prizes attached.
          Among the best film sites is Spike Lee's ``Girl 6''
(http:/www.girl6.com) with a lively design on the theme of sex
hotlines and featuring video clips, music composed for the movie
by Prince, and vigorous praise from Quentin Tarantino (who plays
in the film).
          France's staid and prestigious newspaper Le Monde promises
``the most journalistic online festival coverage'' on the
newly-created site http:/cannes.worldmedia.fr/Cannes96live/.
          ``A question for (jury president) Francis Ford Coppola?
Don't hesitate to talk to film professionals,'' says the
publicity blurb for the service, adding cautiously: ``Don't
worry if we sometimes take more than 24 hours to answer you.''
          ----------
          Rock around the Croisette. Singers calling on Cannes include
Eric Clapton, who wrote the music for Stephen Frears' ``The
Van,'' and the artiste once known as Prince, who now has a
visual symbol for a name and from whom Spike Lee borrowed freely
in ``Girl 6.''
          Actor and singer Bruce Willis, fresh from sharing a platform
with Tina Turner at the launch of her ``Wildest Dreams World
Tour'' in Paris, stages a concert with his band the Accelerators
at a Cannes party thrown by the MTV channel.
          ----------
          Guests sitting down at the opening gala Thursday were not
only having dinner, they could also walk off with their plates.
          French director Jean-Jacques Beineix, best-known for the
cult hits ``Diva'' and ``37.2 le matin'' (Betty Blue) starring
Beatrice Dalle, designed three china plates celebrating 101
years of cinema with the theme ``Anamorphosis Of a Picture.''
          Given away to gala guests, the plates are marketed from
Friday by China maker Philippe Deshoulieres with a price tag for
the trio of $270.
       ^REUTER@
 
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