More than $1 million worth of jewels have been stolen from a hotel in the French town of Cannes, police say, according to BBC News.

The jewels were to be loaned to celebrities who have arrived on the French Riviera town for its famous annual film festival. They were reportedly stolen from a safe in the room of an employee of exclusive Swiss jewellers Chopard.

The film festival opened on Wednesday, May 15, with much of the publicity focused on the screening of The Great Gatsby.