The Cannes Film Festival said that rescheduling the festival to late June and early July as originally hoped is no longer possible, and the festival acknowledged in a statement Tuesday that it most likely won’t take place in its original form.
However, the festival is exploring other contingencies and is hoping to make Cannes happen in some form in 2020.
“It is clearly difficult to assume that the Festival de Cannes could be held this year in its original form,” the festival’s statement read. “Nevertheless, since yesterday evening we have started many discussions with professionals, in France and abroad. They agree that the Festival de Cannes, an essential pillar for the film industry, must explore all contingencies allowing to support the year of Cinema by making Cannes 2020 real, in a way or another.”
The festival was first postponed in March, and the lineup of films playing at the festival was originally meant to be announced this week before the coronavirus canceled and postponed film events across the industry and across the world. The festival has also been consistent about trying to postpone or delay the festival rather than cancel outright, as festivals such as SXSW and Tribeca meant for earlier in the spring have done.
In a Q&A shared by the festival late last month, it was confirmed that festival staff is still working from home and that the deadline to submit films was also extended until at least the end of May.
Cannes has only been canceled once in its history dating back to the end of World War II in 1946, that being in 1968 due to nationwide student riots.
See the latest full statement below:
Following the French President’ statement, on Monday, April 13th, we acknowledged that the postponement of the 73rd International Cannes Film Festival, initially considered for the end of June to the beginning of July, is no longer an option.
It is clearly difficult to assume that the Festival de Cannes could be held this year in its original form.
Nevertheless, since yesterday evening we have started many discussions with professionals, in France and abroad. They agree that the Festival de Cannes, an essential pillar for the film industry, must explore all contingencies allowing to support the year of Cinema by making Cannes 2020 real, in a way or another.
When the health crisis, whose resolution remains the priority of all, passes, we will have to reiterate and prove the importance of cinema and the role that its work, artists, professionals, film theatres and their audiences, play in our lives. This is how the Festival de Cannes, the Marché du Film and the parallel sections (Semaine de la Critique, Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, ACID), intend to contribute. We are committed to it and we would like to thank everyone who is by our side, public officials (Cannes’ City Hall, Ministry of Culture, the CNC), industry members as well as our partners.
Each and everyone knows that many uncertainties are still reigning over the international health situation. We hope to be able to communicate promptly regarding the shapes that this Cannes 2020 will take.