After weeks of speculation, it was announced recently that the 2020 Cannes Film Festival is officially postponed, due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. And while reports said that the French film event was looking at a possible late-June start date, nothing is currently decided upon. This leaves film fans (as well as thousands of industry professionals) in limbo about what might happen. Basically, everyone has questions. Luckily, Cannes is here with some answers.
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In a new post on the official Cannes website, the festival decided to proactively post answers regarding some of the biggest questions people have about the current situation. Leading the way, obviously, is why Cannes has been “postponed” and not canceled, which is what many film festivals have been doing given the global pandemic.
“Because a postponement might be, we repeat, “might be,” possible,” read the statement. “Although Cannes is mainly famous for its arts and media side, it also plays an essential role in the economy of world cinema. When the decision to cancel the event in May was considered, every stakeholder in the sector asked us not to give up on holding it this year.”
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The answer continued, “No one knows what will happen in the near future, but Cannes must work towards solutions with the sector stakeholders who wish the event to take place. The Festival will therefore be acting in line with this perspective, while closely monitoring the changes in the global health situation.”
As for more logistical questions, the upcoming film lineup announcement, which was scheduled for April 16 has also been postponed. And much like the rest of the festival, the announcement of a date will coincide with the news about whether or not the event will actually happen. But for those planning, Cannes says that a lineup announcement “will take place around one month beforehand, in Paris, at a date which is yet to be arranged.” And yes, thanks to streaming, Cannes officials are still working and viewing films, helping them with the decision.
Now, the million-dollar question still lingers—Is it unrealistic to believe Cannes will actually happen in 2020?
READ MORE: Cannes Is Officially Postponed With Possible Dates In June Being Considered
In response to that, officials say they “will not take that view until the evidence compels us to abandon this year’s event.”
The answer continued, “It is obviously not possible to give precise dates yet. We have decided to opt for the end of June because we cannot plan further ahead than that. The lockdown which France, as well as many other countries, is under is only in its second week and we will need time, patience, calm and goodwill before we know when we will come out of it. We will also need to show solidarity. It would be absurd to fixate on the dates of a cultural event when the whole world is living through such a painful time.”
The Q&A ends with a summary of the feelings of the Cannes officials during this tough situation:
“We are working towards a deferred event, if at all possible. And if it is not possible, we will accept that. Because we are acting with humility and discretion, without ever losing sight of the national and international health priorities caused by the crisis, nor of the difficulty and pain of the days in hospitals for patients and health professionals. We want to express our solidarity and our admiration for the health workers and for all those who, where ever they are, are giving their time, their energy and their empathy.”
For now, we’ll just have to wait and see if the 2020 Cannes Film Festival will actually arrive in June or if this year will not feature one of the most prestigious pop culture events of the year.