The Cannes Film Festival Blog - Next Festival: 11-22 May 2011

Robert "are you talking to me?" De Niro will lead the 2011 Cannes Film Festival Jury. De Niro - who was involved in two "Golden Palm" winning movies ("Taxi Driver" and "The Mission") - is no stranger to the Film festival business - in 2002, he founded the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in an effort to re-animate lower Manhattan after the devastating 9/11 attacks.

See also our exclusive transcript of a Robert De Niro Master Class at the 2010 Taormina Film Festival.

Founded in 1885 and described by local newspaper 'Nice Matin' as the "oldest gay bar in Europe", the "Zanzibar" closed its doors for good on December 9 2010. The bar was one of the fixtures of the "apres-festival" bar circuit for many Cannes Film Festival visitors, famous for past visitors such as Jean Cocteau, Jean Marais and Jean-Claude Brialy.

Joining the "Petit Carlton" in the Cannes Festival Bar dead pool, the Zanzibar will be replaced by ... an ice cream parlor.

Take note: the International Cannes Film Festival in 2011 will take place from May 11 to May 22.

And for Christina Aguilera, who famously asked "So, where's the Cannes Film Festival being held this year?",: This year's Cannes Film Festival will be held in Cannes :)