Backstage at the Cannes Film Festival

The 68th Cannes Film Festival started on May 13. By the time it ends, on May 24, it will have attracted about 200,000 film buffs,36,000 industry professionals and 4,500 journalists.

The Hotel Barriere Le Majestic Cannes has made its own preparations for one of the biggest movie events in the world: with 15,000 bottles of Champagne, 800kilograms of lobster and 350kg of foie gras.

It has hosted countless film directors and celebrities since 1946, the festival's inaugural year, including Chinese movie directors and stars such as Chen Kaige, Lee Ang, Gong Li and Fan Bingbing.

Roger Bastoni is head concierge at the five-star hotel and has worked there for 38 years. With so many years in service, he is friends with many celebrities. However everyday behind the lobby counter the 68-year-old still serves guests personally and leads his concierge team during the film festival.

Always say yes

Bastoni's secret to being the best in the business? "You have to be clever. You have to be wise. You have to be capable of adapting to every situation very quickly, and think ahead.

"But the most important thing for a good concierge to do is to answer yes to everything, positively."

He is capable of providing almost everything: from a newspaper to a last-minute World Cup final ticket.

The World Cup soccer tournament was held in France after the film festival in 1998. "A very well-known movie star came to me and required 12 tickets for the final match, it was already the final, the tickets were very scarce, but we made it happen," he recalled.

This last-minute ticket is not the wildest thing requested of him. Four years ago he sent an haute couture tailor, on a helicopter, to an island to make a customized suit for a celebrity on a Sunday.