Now underway on the French Riviera is the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Although this year, only one Chinese director is in the competition for the grand prize, the star power of the Chinese attendees can’t be ignored.

There’s vintage fashion and there’s ancient fashion — and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing tapped into the latter for the opening of the Cannes Film Festival.

Fan says she selected the style of these long-gone eras because she didn’t want a "normal, elegant" red carpet look. She wanted "something special."

Fan Bingbing, a Chinese actress says, "The designer of the dress is a very good friend of mine. The dress incorporates the look of a Chinese ceramic vase from the Qing Dynasty. "

And if the Qing Dynasty still isn’t ancient enough for some, her hair was pinned to look like a young maiden from the Tang dynasty.

Also grabbing the spotlight, is up and coming actress Yang Mi in a beaded, saffron yellow gown... Taking a little too much time with her camera poses...and thus required the attention of an usher.

While the red carpet naturally favors the fairer sex... China Night is where all elements Chinese are in full swing... From photo-ops with Chinese celebrities to masterful performances of the traditional arts.

China has witnessed the fastest growing movie industry in the world and it is certainly making its presence felt in Cannes.

Jerome Paillard, the executive director of Cannes Film Market says, "I think it is very important for Cannes to have, and to establish, that relationship with China which is, as everyone knows, the very very big market for film in the future and we hope to see many more films going abroad to China and to arrive in Cannes, and internationally."

This year marks the 5th China Night event at tthe Cannes Film Festival. Since 2008, the event has become a platform for the international promotion of China’s domestic productions. And Chinese filmmakers feel the day may soon come that Chinese film produtions will explode onto the French Riviera.