CANNES -- Things go in circles at the Cannes Film Festival. One of last year's highlights was a surreal press conference for Martin Scorsese's Gangs Of New York, then a work-in-progress that went on to Oscar nominations.

Scorsese defended Leonardo DiCaprio from rumours he was partying instead of working on set in Rome, while both Scorsese and producer Harvey Weinstein were left to deny that their personal differences were destroying either the film or their friendship.

Weinstein is currenting co-producing a big budget film about Howard Hughes called The Aviator -- with Scorsese directing DiCaprio again in six weeks time.

"One overturned desk and everyone went crazy," Weinstein told a Variety magazine forum this week about the overblown "feud" between Scorsese and him.

Weinstein, however, thanked the media for all the free publicity and suggested he might arrange for public boxing bouts between him and his favourite director at Madison Square Garden every time they work together on a film.

Cannes, he said, is "a great party" but a little thin on film product this year. "I just want them to throw in an occasional great movie now and then."

Miramax is notorious for spending millions to launch Oscar campaigns, including for this year's best picture winner Chicago. No apologies, said Weinstein. "If you knew you were going to get $75 million more (as Chicago did at the box office post-Oscar), wouldn't you spend a few million?"


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