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The 79th Cannes Film Festival opened on Tuesday in southern France. Over the next 12 days, the festival will host world premieres and conclude on May 23 with the presentation of the Palme d’Or — the festival’s top prize and one of the most prestigious awards in the film industry.
The celebration began with the opening film, the French historical comedy The Electric Kiss, and the presentation of an honorary Palme d’Or to Peter Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings.
People are talking as much about what is missing from Cannes as about what is there. This year’s festival is, essentially, without Hollywood.
While previous festivals featured major hits such as Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis, studios this year were reportedly discouraged either by the possibility of an unfriendly reception or by the high cost of flying A-list stars to the French Riviera, although the program does include an anniversary celebration for Fast & Furious.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux said Hollywood is “restructuring” amid the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance.
“I hope studio films return,” Frémaux said.
Cannes is known more for lengthy standing ovations than for boos. This year, the spotlight will fall on a long list of acclaimed filmmakers.
Among the directors presenting new films are Pedro Almodóvar, James Gray, Na Hong-jin, Paweł Pawlikowski, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
Although Cannes has become less important as a launch platform for global studio films, it has increasingly become a breeding ground for Academy Awards contenders.
Two years ago, Sean Baker’s Anora won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and later received the Academy Award for Best Picture. Last year, Cannes films such as Sentimental Value, The Secret Agent, and It Was Just an Accident played significant roles during awards season.
The distributor Neon has often led the way from Cannes to the Oscars. Neon backed the last six Palme d’Or winners — an unprecedented streak it may now extend. The company is connected to more than a quarter of the 22 films competing for the Palme d’Or this year.
On Tuesday, the jury responsible for deciding this and other awards held a press conference before beginning private film screenings. South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is serving as president of the nine-member jury, which also includes Demi Moore, Chloé Zhao, Stellan Skarsgård, and others.
How much all of this will serve as inspiration for The White Lotus remains unclear. The fourth season of Mike White’s acclaimed HBO series revolves around a trip to Cannes. Filming on the French Riviera began last month.
Although Cannes may be lacking major Hollywood blockbusters, it certainly is not short on stars. Over the next two weeks, attendees will include Kristen Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Adam Driver, Javier Bardem, Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Rami Malek, Sebastian Stan, Sandra Hüller, and many others.