Cannes 2020: France Extends Public Gatherings Ban Due To Coronavirus, Leading To Concerns About The Festival

While it appears we’re still a bit too early to say what’s definitely going to happen, the Cannes Film Festival seems like it could be in the coronavirus crosshairs. Earlier this week, it was announced that MipTV and Canneseries, both events held about a month before the film festival, were postponed due to the outbreak of the deadly illness. Now, the French government has extended the ban on large public gatherings through the end of May. Let’s just say, things aren’t looking too great for the prestigious film event.

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According to Variety, France has extended its ban on large public gatherings (more than 5,000 people in a confined space) through the entire month of May, which overlaps with the May 12 start date of this year’s Cannes Film Festival. While the requirements of the ban themselves wouldn’t force the festival to shutter, it’s the fear that this could escalate that could spell trouble for the event. If SXSW 2020 is any indication, studios aren’t scared to pull out of events for fear of public health and safety, and if enough studios and/or celebrities decide to cancel their trip to France in May (or if the government makes the public gathering ban even more stringent, obviously), we could be looking at Cannes being at a crossroads.

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Just a bit before the news about the public gatherings ban, a spokesperson for Cannes said (via Deadline), “We understand the concern that has been expressed following the postponement of Cannes Series and the cancellation of MIPTV, but as of today nothing indicates that the Cannes Film Festival will not take place. The Cannes Film Festival staff, Thierry Frémaux and the selection committee are all currently working on the organization of the event.”

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Of course, if the coronavirus outbreak keeps escalating in Europe, and France in particular, you could be looking at a situation where Cannes is forced to cancel the film festival. If that happens, not only is that a huge hit for the year’s festival circuit, but also the film community, which looks at Cannes as a spring institution where some of the biggest films in the world make their debut.

Obviously, public health and safety are of paramount importance, but it would be a pretty massive change to the year’s film schedule. As of now, Cannes is set to begin on May 12 and run until May 23.