Editing The Fifth Element (section)

===Initial screening===
The film premiered on 7 May at the [[1997 Cannes Film Festival]], where it was selected as the opening film.<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4789/year/1997.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111051123/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4789/year/1997.html |archive-date=11 November 2014|title=Festival de Cannes: The Fifth Element |work=[[Cannes Film Festival]] |access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref><ref name=todd/> Gaumont built an area for the screening that was over {{convert|100000|sqft|m2|sigfig=2}}. Guests were given a "Fifth Element" [[Swatch]], which was used as their ticket for entry. The event included a futuristic ballet, a fashion show by Jean Paul Gaultier, and fireworks. Gaumont spent between $1{{spaces}}million and $3{{spaces}}million on the event, a record at the time.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/features/the-fickle-fetes-1200466152/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225170234/http://variety.com/2013/film/features/the-fickle-fetes-1200466152/ |archive-date=25 December 2014 |title=Cannes parties are legendary, but sometimes the shindig can outperform the pic |last1=Gray |first1=Timothy |date=13 May 2013 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref> The film's North American release was handled by [[Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group#Sony Pictures Releasing|Sony Pictures Releasing]] via its Columbia Pictures label.<ref name="ShoWest97">{{cite news |last1=Cox |first1=Dan |title=Sony wows exhibs with star-studded lineup |url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/sony-wows-exhibs-with-star-studded-lineup-1117343157/ |access-date=16 July 2020 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=5 March 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717052029/https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/sony-wows-exhibs-with-star-studded-lineup-1117343157/ |archive-date=17 July 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>