Partyhopper

This Partyhopper has certainly earned her stripes over the last 24 hours. My epic journey to Cannes started with a three-hour wait in Manhattan traffic, a missed flight and a mad dash to an airport clear across the city to catch a different plane. Having finally arrived in Nice this afternoon, I soon learned that my bags--containing a carefully selected wardrobe for the next 10 days--hadn't made the whole trip. Still, nothing could stop me from hitting my first bash of the festival, a party at Nikki Beach to promote Petra Nemcova's upcoming documentary, Love Evolution.

Bronwyn spends her first night in Cannes catching up with Petra Nemcova during a party at Nikki Beach.

Together with producer Leigh Simons and The Creative Coalition, Petra hosted cocktails to kick off her latest creative venture, a documentary that will take a look at the meaning of love. Sean Penn and Bono--who arrived by boat, natch--came out to support the socially-conscious supermodel. "Bono told me that love is even stronger than the forces of nature," Petra said when I asked her about why this emotion is the perfect subject for a film. And she's something of an authority on the power of love; in 2004 she lost her boyfriend when the Indian Ocean tsunami swept through the Thai resort of Khao Lak where the couple was vacationing. Petra recovered from serious injuries and made it a priority to help those in need, which she does through her Happy Hearts Fund. So although I may not have looked my best, I was so glad to get the chance to attend such a worthwhile party. Now, it's off to bed. Stay tuned for more dispatches from the Croisette.--Bronwyn Barnes