Eva Mendes and Naomi Campbell at the de Grisogono Party during the Cannes Film Festival. May 22, 2007.
Daniele Venturelli/WireImage.com

CelebNews@Usmagazine.com! - Inside the Hottest Parties in Cannes!

The Cannes Film Festival may be best known for its eclectic movies, but it’s the parties - and the nonstop stream of A-list guests - that keep us coming back.

Usmagazine.com was on a yacht with Jessica Simpson, in the clubs with Bar Refaeli and Jude Law, and inside the hottest, most exclusive hotels with Matt Damon and George Clooney. As Angelina Jolie said in the lobby of the Hotel Du Cap, "This is just great!" We couldn't agree more.

On Saturday May 19, Vanity Fair hosted a bash at the glitzy Eden Roc on the Cap d'Antibes. Jessica and her father, Joe Simpson, Leo DiCaprio, Kid Rock and Gemma Ward hung by the infinity pool, which was filled with floating red letters that spelled out the magazine's name. Josh Brolin stayed close to wife Diane Lane, especially since his uber-skinny former fiancée Minnie Driver was also in the crowd.

By Monday the 21st, all of Cannes was buzzing that Bar and Leo had called it quits. Everyone focused on the Israeli-born model when she breezed into legendary hotspot Nikki Beach to launch the Chopard Happy Palme watch. Her carefree behavior—she sat in the shade and happily chatted with friends while munching on chocolates—proved the rumors untrue. "They didn't break up," a source told Us. "She went straight from the airport [in Nice] to be with Leo."

Later that evening, Warner Brothers threw a family affair at the Eden Roc that drew most of the Ocean's Thirteen crowd, including Damon, Clooney, Andy Garcia and Don Cheadle. Guests snacked on salmon and oysters, and talked shop as their families mingled from table to table. Damon, wearing glasses and an un-tucked oxford, stayed close to wife Luciana Barroso, while a caretaker played with their daughter, Isabella Damon. (Brad Pitt and Angelina were across town at an intimate private dinner in honor of A Mighty Heart.)

On Tuesday night, many A-listers were at the super exclusive Darfur benefit,sponsored by Ocean's Thirteen producer Jerry Weintrub. Attended by the Ocean's guys—including Clooney—a long known supporter of the Sudan region, the benefit was held on a yacht, and had only 200 invited guests.

On the other side of Cap d'Antibes, several hundred revelers ogled de Grisogono jewelry and Kid Rock's all-model entourage on Tuesday in the open air of the Eden Roc. As guests sat down to a seaside three-course dinner (Us was seated next to Don Johnson), three singers weaved throughout the dining room, stopping to serenade Naomi Campbell with "Happy Birthday" as Kimora Lee Simmons—who'd shown her newest fashion collection in an earlier runway show—looked on.

The supermodel blushed, and took several bites of red velvet cake. (Unfortunately, her goodwill was short lived, as she was later overheard yelling, "I do not want to do interviews!" to her handlers. A glowing Eva Mendes was also overheard loudly complaining about the bathroom line.) As fireworks exploded over the sea, Kelly Rowland took to the stage to perform a medley of Destiny's Child hits, a few of her own singles and covers of Fergie and Nelly Furtado songs. Before singing, a source reports, Rowland pulled the diva card as well, "and was making all sorts of last minute performance demands" about the stage setup.

Meanwhile, the crowd waited with baited breath for Beyoncé to appear on stage, since she and Jay-Z had appeared at the dinner unannounced moments earlier. Unfortunately, the only performance Beyoncé gave was a quick spoken "happy birthday" via cell phone for a European photographer's daughter after Jay-Z declared, “Beyonce will not sing over the phone." After Rowland's performance, guests including Elton John’s husband David Furnish and Mischa Barton moved downstairs as Kid Rock spun his favorite song (despite it being the song in which he walked down the aisle to with Pam), "Sweet Home Alabama" and a mix of old school rap hits. The party was still in full swing at 3 a.m., as Kevin Connolly and his own entourage swept through briefly.

The festival may be winding down, but the parties are still going. Tonight, Elton John is expected at a Dolce & Gabbana party, and Jude Law and Nick Cannon will be at Chopard.

Related Links:

Entourage Cast Storms Cannes

Cannes Chronicles: You Had to Bee There!

Cannes Chronicles: Jude Law Opens With Norah Jones

Jessica Sounds Off on Her “Blonde Bimbo” Role

Brangelina Land in Cannes

Are Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie Morphing Into One?