A friend from college, Phil Hawkins, is due to screen his movie at Cannes this month.

Obviously this is very exciting and he deserves to have this opportunity to showcase his work. The film in question is an independently produced adaptation of an early Phillip Pullman novel, The Butterfly Tattoo.

But I wonder what kind of a reception he will get at the festival as an unknown director and if his work will be lost in the sea of directorial debuts and independent productions.

Cannes began life as a festival for filmmakers but it seems it is quickly becoming a place for celebrities who wish to show how credible they are to turn up and strut around the red carpet. Has the festival got its priorities right?

As a real first time director, I have to wonder if Phil will really be given the platform all independent film makers deserve.

Related stories:

• Festival de Cannes
• Phil Hawkins interview for South Manchester Reporter
• Women film makers at Cannes