Carla Bruni, 57, turns heads in a red velvet dress with daring thigh split as she puts on leggy display at Cannes Film Festival

France’s former First Lady Carla Bruni graced the red carpet at the The Phoenician Scheme premiere during the 78th Cannes Film Festival on Sunday.

The 57-year-old Italian-French singer and fashion model put on a very leggy display in a one-shoulder crushed red velvet maxi dress, which featured a daring split.

Carla oozed glamour as she made an appearance at the glitzy event, which will run until next Saturday.

Standing on the red carpet with one hand on her hip, she showed off her incredible physique in a bodycon maxi dress.

The socialite paired her gown with a pair of sparkly black heels and simple jewellery to complete her evening look.

She looked as elegant as ever as she looked out to the crowd ahead of the night of festivities at the lavish annual event.

Carla flashed her toned supermodel legs in the dress, as she posed for a series of photos.
The Phoenician Scheme is the most the star-studded film that has premiered at this year’s Cannes so far, but this is no surprise with legendary director Wes Anderson at the helm.

Leading the cast is Benicio del Toro, who plays wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda, who apppints his only daughter, a nun as the sole heire to his estate.

However, as Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins.

Mia Threapleton stars Sister Liesl, and they join Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend and Bill Murray.

The film is set to be released in the US on May 30, with hopes it could become Wes’ next big Oscars contender, following his success with The Grant Budapest Hotel in 2014.

Wes’ last big effort, Asteroid City, failed to make a splash at the Oscars, despite being nominated for Cannes’ Palm D’Or.

This year’s Cannes Film Festival is taking place in the wake of Trump´s vow to enact tariffs on international films.

Cannes, where filmmakers, sales agents and journalists gather from around the world, is the Olympics of the big screen, with its own golden prize, the Palme d´Or, to give out at the end. 

Filmmakers come from nearly every corner of the globe to showcase their films while dealmakers work through the night to sell finished films or packaged productions to various territories.

‘You release a film into that Colosseum-like situation,’ says Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho, who´s returning to Cannes with ‘The Secret Agent, a thriller set during Brazil´s dictatorship. 

‘You´ve got to really prepare for the whole experience because it´s quite intense – not very far from the feeling of approaching a roller coaster as you go up the steps at the Palais.’

Trump sent shock waves through Hollywood and the international film community when he announced on May 4 that all movies “produced in Foreign Lands” will face 100% tariffs.

The White House has said no final decisions have been made. Options being explored include federal incentives for U.S.-based productions, rather than tariffs. But the announcement was a reminder of how international tensions can destabilize even the oldest cultural institutions.

The Cannes Film Festival originally emerged in the World War II years, when the rise of fascism in Italy led to the founding of an alternative to the then-government controlled Venice Film Festival. 

In the time since, Cannes´ resolute commitment to cinema has made it a beacon to filmmakers. Countless directors have come to make their name.

This year is no different, though some of the first-time filmmakers at Cannes are already particularly well-known. Kristen Stewart (The Chronology of Water), Scarlett Johansson (Eleanor the Great) and Harris Dickinson (Urchin) have all unveiled their feature directorial debuts in Cannes´ Un Certain Regard sidebar section.

Many Cannes veterans have returned, including Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning), Robert De Niro – who received an honorary Palme d´Or 49 years after Taxi Driver premiered in Cannes – and Quentin Tarantino, who paid tribute to low-budget Western director George Sherman.

Meanwhile Scarlett’s directorial debut Eleanor The Great, will be unveiled on May 20.