All you need is: a) a permanent smile, b) a taste for champagne, c) the ability to party with folk from Movieland.

The Cannes Film Festival, now in its 49th year, is the biggest event in the film calendar, attracting more than 10,000 people from all walks of the film industry over two weeks.

It is here that films are premiered, sold and hatched. This year a clip of Madonna's musical, Evita, was shown and Britain's Trainspotting was premiered for the American market. The entire cast were on hand to talk to the world's press and play host at the Trainspotting party for which Noel Gallagher, Damon Albarn and Justine Frischmann jetted in on private planes.

So you see, it's important to make your presence known when you grace the golden shores of Cannes -- as crooner and all-round nice guy turned movie star Harry Connick Jr. found out when he flew in from New York.

We shadowed Harry's two-day visit and indulged in some star-spotting as he worked the crowds promoting his next action flick, Independence Day, starring Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum, and his new album, Star Turtle.

Harry flew in from Vancouver, Canada where he's filming the comedy Excess Baggage with Alicia Silverstone. After booking into the infamous Carlton Hotel (£7,000 for two nights) it was straight into rehearsals for a gig he is booked to play at the MTV party that night.

Harry has been playing the piano since he was three and became a star overnight when he penned the soundtrack to When Harry Met Sally three years ago. And it's a good job that he can play just about anywhere with anyone because so far he's only had four hours to rehearse with his new band for tonight's show. Yikes!

"Tell me about it," he drawls in a heavy New Orleans accent as he bounds into the rehearsal. "I've got to play drums and perform new material in tonight's set, which is going to be screened on MTV, so we'd better get to it." We leave Harry to tinkle the ivories and head to the swanky harbour to try some star-spotting.

The yachts in the harbour are spectacular -- like posh homes, but without the bricks. Sadly there are no stars in sight, but a bloke who works on the Le Venicia yacht informs us that Noel Gallagher was partying on the boat with Mick Jagger the night before and both left without paying their £60 bills! Kate Winslet and Liv Tyler have also been on board -- but they paid before they split.

That night we follow Harry, who is the guest of honour, to the MTV party, which over 5,000 people will attend. Strobe lights illuminate the night sky and celebs dressed to the nines glide up the red carpet amid the flashes of the paparazzi. First come Patricia and Rosanna Arquette, then David Schwimmer (Ross from Friends), followed by Simon and Yasmin Le Bon and Britain's very own Dennis Pennis, who later asks an Italian porn star if she ever feels she's getting shafted!!

Then Harry makes his entrance -- and boy, what an entrance! He roars up to the venue on a mean Harley Davidson, pulls a wheely and growls at the cameras: "This is where the fun really starts." And he's right.

Inside, champagne flows, people jump fully clothed into the swimming pool and all hell breaks loose until Harry comes on to perform a brilliant and hitch-free one-hour set.

We bumble down to his dressing room afterwards to congratulate him -- only to find Woody Harrelson, of Indecent Proposal fame, has beaten us to it. Woody has been friendly with Harry since he starred in an episode of Cheers. "That was great, man!" he grins, patting Harry on the back, and they swap gossip until Harry leaves to get a good night's kip before his press conference tomorrow, which is being held on a boat.

When I say boat, what I mean is floating mansion. This baby costs £25,000 a week to hire and next week will cruise wrinkly rocker Rod Stewart and his family around the Med.

More than 50 journalists gather on the boat. Meanwhile, Harry's back at the hotel waiting to be ferried to the yacht by speedboat -- always up for a laugh, we join him on the open waves amid ooohing and ahhhing as we climb aboard and let the ceremonies begin.

In the film world, Harry is a big shake. He made his acting debut in Memphis Belle as a pilot, followed by a role which Oscar-winner Jodie Foster handpicked him for in Little Man Tate, and his most recent part was as a psycho killer in the thriller Copycat.

"What made you call your album Star Turtle?" asks one journo.

"Drugs," replies Harry. For the record, he's joking.

"Why are your film roles so diverse?" enquires another.

"It's more fun. I'm doing a movie now with Alicia Silverstone and I play a second-hand car dealer, which is so different to the killer I played in Copycat," says Harry.

"But the scripts have to be good and I've been very lucky. For Little Man Tate, Jodie Foster called me up and asked me to do the film -- that was cool. I didn't have to audition for Independence Day either. We did the deal over the phone."

The questions continue for another hour before the decks are cleared and journos booted out so that lunch can be served.

Throughout the lavish three-course meal, Harry chats about his one-month-old daughter, Georgia Tatom. "She's beautiful," he coos, producing photographs. "Watching her come into the world was the best thing, but I haven't had much sleep since."

After lunch Harry has three hours of interviews and filming for MTV scheduled before he can call it a day.

Once the smallest cinema in the world (it seats eight and is really a caravan cannily disguised as a cinema) has been frequented, the harbour and other filmy landmarks have to be visited before Harry heads back to the Carlton to meet up with Woddy for a night out -- the word is that Sandra Bullock and Chris O'Donnell could also be in attendance.

We decide to leave him on the promise of a better invite -- to Liz Hurley and Hugh Grant's swank cocktail party. We know we'll get in because Tom, our photographer, is a distant cousin of Hugh's and -- get this -- always sees him at weddings.

An hour later, after much blagging and eventual begging, we're resigned: we are not welcomed at Liz and Hugh's soiree -- and Tom promises never to acknowledge Hugh at another wedding ever again.

Dejected, we opt for a pizza at a seaside restaurant and come to terms with the fact that our glittering 48-hour tour star-spotting stint has come to an end -- but hang on... that's Alan from EastEnders. "Alan!" we cry. "Fancy a pizza? We're from Smash Hits."

"Ahh, The Hits," he wails, beaming. "I am not worthy! Have you met my girlfriend Jo..." and so another celeb-type dinner ensues. This is the life.