I declare this 53rd TV festival opened

7pm, the "salle des princes" of the Grimaldi Forum is welcoming more and more people. Here and there people speak while they keep their eyes on the giant screen on the two walls of the room airing a little live from the red Carpet. The starts are arriving, taking some pictures before they join the room to attend the opening ceremony which will start a little later than planned.

30 minutes later, Bernard Montiel (french host) arrives on the stage to start this evening. The giant screen above the stage is on. A video looking like a spy-movie starts...it's the presentation of the jury of the different categories of the festival. At the same time, the members of those juries arrive on the stage too and join their seats

Prince Albert soon joins them to read his speech celebrating the international production. This year the festival is celebrating the TV shows from all over the world and the unity behind all those projects without borders coming from the little screen. Indeed, the international productions are more and more numerous. For example: the TV shows chosen to open this festival is "Crossing Lines" a French-American production with a casting including German, Italian, French and American actors. 

And the choice of Crossing Lines gives to the Prince the opportunity to award with a Cristal Nymph (for the first time) a talented actor: Donald Sutherland.

The screen airs some extracts celebrating his career and reminding us how this man influenced and marked the movie and TV industries. A man who, when he walks on the stage to thank the Prince and the festival can't stop thanking the public and also cries. He starts a beautiful speech about his life, his career but also his commitment for environment. He thanks Prince Albert who is devoted to the environment too. This moment is so emotional and the audience is listening to it with a little tear in the eyes. But all of this is quickly forgotten when with some humor from Mr Sutherland. "I hope to have again such a wonderful career for the next 60 years" the audience laughs and he retorts "don't laugh, I just came back from India...who knows".