Study Abroad in Cannes: Student Life

Activities

Thanks to Cannes' sunny climate, students can swim, play tennis, waterski or sail for much of the year, or participate in team sports such as basketball, soccer or volleyball. During the spring semester, students can ski at Isola 2000, a 2-hour drive away.

Students at the Collège benefit from Cannes’ position as a center for the arts. They can visit local museums dedicated exclusively to great artists such as Picasso, Matisse and Chagall. They can take a non-credit course with a local artist to try to capture a landscape that has inspired so many.

The Collège can often arrange free tickets to the Cannes Film Festival during spring semester. Students can watch local performances of theater, music or modern dance. Many excursions/ activities are included in the fee; others are available at a small additional cost.

Cannes Film Festival

Spring semester students benefit from being in Cannes during its world-famous film festival which lasts for 2 weeks in May. Students typically receive a badge that allows them to attend screenings. For the past few years, AIFS students have been offered opportunities such as these during the festival:

  • Volunteering with a U.S. production company which supplies crews for U.S. networks. Interns are not paid but are provided with meals and treated as crew members. They work every day of the festival after morning classes assisting field crews in shootings, logging, duplicating, editing and arranging interviews with celebrities and invitations to functions. It is an excellent opportunity for those interested in careers in communications, public relations or the arts.

  • Volunteering with the American Foundation for AIDS research (AmFAR) Every year “Cinema Against Aids” hosts an annual gala dinner during the Film Festival to raise money for AIDS research. This event is always attended by many well-known celebrities associated with the Film Festival, but also famous names from the world of fashion, music and business.

Internship opportunities

The Collège can arrange placements in a wide range of public organizations and private companies depending on your academic major, interests and suitability. French proficiency at the 300 level is required. Typical internships include a minimum eight hours of work a week with local government and housing projects. Internships may also be with youth clubs, hospitals or the Cannes festival hall.

Language development

The staff at the Collège encourage students to use their French. In addition to language skills learned on campus, the Collège has two unique programs to help students extend their language skills outside of classes:

Échange-Langue Club
The club invites French people from Cannes who want to practice a foreign language to meet with students for conversational exchange. Participants spend six to eight hours a week together, conversing half the time in French and the other half in the students’ native languages.

Accueil-plus
Shops specially selected by the Collège display Collège initials in their windows. They not only offer discounts to students but are places where staff will take time to chat in an open and relaxed atmosphere.