Cannes Film Festival postponed to July in hopes of having in-person event
Organisers are intent on having a festival this year, one way or another, although no details have been given as to what shape a 2021 edition might take.
A scooter drives by the Palais des Festivals at the 71st international film festival, Cannes, southern France, on May 7, 2018. (Photo by Arthur Mola/Invision/AP, File)
The Cannes Film Festival, cancelled altogether last year by the pandemic, is postponing this year's edition from May to July in hopes of having an in-person festival.
Cannes organisers announced on Wednesday (Jan 27) that this year's festival will now take place Jul 6–17, about two months after its typical period. The French Riviera festival, which had run for nearly 75 years with few interruptions, is currently hoping the coronavirus recedes enough by summertime.
Cannes last year first looked at a postponement its 73rd festival to June or July before ultimately cancelling altogether. The festival still went ahead with a selection announcement to celebrate the films it had planned to include in its prestigious lineup.
This year, organisers are intent on having a festival, one way or another. No details were announced on Wednesday on what shape a 2021 edition might take.
If Cannes were to go forward with attendees in theatres in July, it would be the first major film festival to do so since the Venice Film Festival mounted a festival in September, with masked moviegoers and social distancing on red carpets. On Thursday, the premier independent film festival, Sundance, launches with virtual screenings and drive-in events scattered around the US. The Berlin Film Festival, scheduled for March in Germany, is planning a virtual event.
During the pandemic, Cannes' central hub, the Palais des Festivals, has been used for hospital beds and, more recently, as a vaccination centre.
(Source: AP)
