A man was arrested last night after firing a starting pistol at the Cannes Film Festival, sending actors Christoph Waltz and Daniel Auteuil running for cover.
Police arrested a suspect at the scene and found he was also carrying a dummy grenade and a knife.
The incident took place during a live TV broadcast on the waterfront. French station Canal+ was interviewing the two actors when a man fired twice into the air.
"The bodyguards jumped over the barriers into the crowd and pulled him to the ground," said a witness. "The police arrived and told everyone to run because there was a grenade in his hand."
Television footage showed Waltz, other guests and crew scrambling from the seaside stage as a voice said "There's someone shooting".
After the man was taken away, the show's producers told the crowd the programme would continue.
"It really appears to be a crazy guy," said a police source.
Waltz revealed what happened later at a dinner hosted by Charles Finch, the London-based film producer and magazine publisher.
He seemed quite composed and unfazed and said: "I'm fine there's nothing to worry about now."
Waltz, who has won two best supporting actor Oscars for Django Unchained and Inglourious Basterds, and Auteuil, both of whom are serving on the Cannes jury, returned to the set.
The shooting was the second security incident on day three of the 12-day festival. On Thursday night a reported $1.4 million worth of Chopard jewellery intended to be worn by stars was stolen from a room at the Suite Novotel hotel.
