The Cannes Film Festival won’t take place in June due to the coronavirus pandemic, but organizers continue to explore different options for 2020.
“Following the French President’s 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,” the festival said on Tuesday. “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 added. “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.”
Since announcing on March 19 that the 2020 edition would not be held in May, the festival was moving forward with a tentative plan to postpone the event until the end of June through the beginning of July.
But the continued rise of casualties linked to COVID-19 in France and the rest of the world has made it impossible to move ahead with a summer event. France President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised interview on Monday evening that festivals would be banned in the country until mid-July.
