The Cannes Film Festival has always been known as an event that marches to the beat of its own drum. For the most part, this independence and stubbornness is well-earned and respected, as the festival has long been seen as the gold-standard for film events. However, when it comes to the event’s reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, many are wondering why the festival just hasn’t thrown in the towel.
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According to a new report from Deadline, one of the reasons that Cannes is reluctant to make any declarations about the state of the 2020 event is because there’s really only one shot left for it to happen this year. The report claims that if the eyed date in late-June isn’t realistic, then the 2020 edition of the Cannes Film Festival will have to be fully canceled. Apparently, it’s said that further postponement past June “wouldn’t make sense.”
And frankly, this proposed June timeframe is beginning to look more and more unlikely. Currently, the Palais, which houses the event, is being used to take care of the homeless population of the area. In addition, the death toll continues to mount in France, with more than 10,000 dead being reported. The outlook is so grim for the foreseeable future that the Mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, recently stated that the region is “heading towards a major social and economic disaster.”
READ MORE: Cannes Officials “Will Accept” Cancellation But Stress Postponement “Might Be Possible”
However, all is not lost. The report does claim that certain, unnamed sidebars to the traditional festival may move forward independently later in the year. That being said, the main competition, which is what generates the biggest headlines, as well as the star-studded premieres that attract huge crowds and stars, would still be taking a break in 2020.
As for when we might hear the final word on the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, the event organizers recently stated that the whole thing takes about a month to plan. That would put the latest time frame for an announcement around late-May. But at this point, you would have to assume that Cannes would have to make a decision well before then. Then again, this is Cannes and the festival hasn’t been known to necessarily follow assumptions.
