On 3rd June, from an empty movie theater in Paris, it was announced by the organizers of the Cannes Film Festival that the movies that were to played there in May were not canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The selections were the most prestigious and glitzy annual gathering of the global film industry for Cannes, the leading international film festival that has been held for the past 73 years. The premier international film festival was initially set for mid-May, then it was considered to be postponed to July, but eventually skipping a 2020 edition.
Two films were supposed to be premiered Mangrove and Lover’s Rock by Steve McQueen. The director of the festival Thierry Fremaux said so. Even The French Dispatch by Wes Anderson and Soul by Pete, too were supposed to be a part of this festival.
It was also revealed by the Cannes Festival director Thierry Fremaux that 56 movies which were chosen from a record 2,067 submissions that were published in spite of the global health crisis. Then Thierry Fremaux, who was sitting next to President Pierre Lescure at the UGC Normandy Cinema stage in Paris, added that “I can see that movie is alive and kicking.”
Even the Cannes Festival director Fremaux was not able to differentiate among the main films, in which 20-25 films that were set to participate in the Palme D’Or, the Un Certain Regard sidebar or out-of-competition premiers. Besides that, he also noticed that certain films opted to wait till Cannes next year.
The list revealed included 16 films directed by women, up to two in 2019. Cannes has often been criticized for not selecting more movies directed by women where only one female film director (Jane Campion) ever won the Palme.
The jury that will choose Cannes’ top prize was presided by Spike Lee, whose preceding film “BlacKKlansman” was premiered at Cannes. Last year, Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite was awarded the best picture at the Academy Awards.
The Cannes Festival director also revealed that “This time, everyone will be able to give his or her own Palme d’Or.” “Another Round,” “Summer of ’85”, “Heaven, “True Mothers,” “DNA,” and “Peninsula” are also included among the selections.
Places like Toronto, Telluride, New York, and San Sebastian will take in these films, and they have the premiere held there if the official 2020 Cannes Film Festival does not hold it. Cannes label is important for the lesser-known filmmakers. On Wednesday, 15 films which are announced are directorial debuts.
