Cannes [France], May 18 (HornbillTV): The Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday rolled out the red carpet after a canceled 2020 edition and a scaled back gathering last year. Formally attired stars like Eva Longoria were streaming down the Cannes' famous red carpet ahead of the opening of the 75th Cannes Film Festival and the premiere of Michel Hazanavicius' zombie comedy “Final Cut”.
A handful of high-profile Hollywood titles — including “Top Gun: Maverick”, “Elvis” and “Three Thousand Years of Longing” — will launch in Cannes, and 21 films will be vying for the festival’s prestigious top award, the Palme d’Or, over the next 12 days.
After last year requiring regular COVID-19 testing and masks in theaters — and no kisses on the red carpet — Cannes has largely done away with pandemic protocols. Masks are recommended inside, but are rarely worn.
“This year, everyone wanted to come to Cannes,” said Thierry Fremaux, artistic director of the festival, ahead of the opening. “Everyone wanted to meet again.”
This year's Cannes officially begins Tuesday evening, with an opening ceremony preceding the premier of “Final Cut," which was renamed from its original title, “Z,” after Ukrainian protesters noted that the letter ‘Z’ symbolizes support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine is expected to be a regular presence in Cannes. The festival has barred Russians with ties to the government. Set to screen are several films from prominent Ukrainian filmmakers, including Sergei Loznitsa’s documentary “The Natural History of Destruction”. Footage shot by Lithuanian filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius before he was killed in Mariupol in April will also be shown by his fiancée, Hanna Bilobrova.
French actor Vincent Lindon is leading a jury that will award the Palme d'Or, including Deepika Padukone, Rebecca Hall, Asghar Farhadi, Trinca, Ladj Ly, Noomi Rapace, Jeff Nichols and Joachim Trier.
Questions of gender equality have long surrounded the Cannes Film Festival, where no more than five female filmmakers have ever been a part of the Palme competition lineup and only two women directors have won it. Fremaux defended the festival, arguing that it selects films purely on the basis of quality. Hall, who last year made her directorial debut with the film “Passing”, was asked about her opinion on Cannes' record. “I believe that it is a work in progress. I mean for the whole film industry, not just the Cannes Film Festival," replied Hall. “The way of dealing with these things needs to be addressed on a grassroots level as well. It’s not just the festivals or public-facing situations. It’s about all the minutiae of what goes into the industry at large."
The festival is also hosting TikTok creators from around the world and holding a separate contest for best short videos created during the festival. Fremaux called it a “young partnership” and granted TikTok wasn't the future of cinema.
"The cinema remains the final art," said Fremaux.