While COVID cases are taking a dip in parts of America (like California, where the vaccine rollout has been relatively smooth and movie theaters and restaurants are finally starting to reopen their doors), things are not quite so rosy across the pond in Europe. France recently reached a five-month high for COVID-related hospitalizations, and experts have speculated that the vast majority of the country’s population will need to be vaccinated before any type of return to “normal” can resume.
READ MORE: Spike Lee Named Jury President For The Cannes Film Festival… Again
Well, in spite of that rather grim bit of news, a recent report from Variety hints that the folks behind the Cannes Film Festival are hoping that the fest can move forward as planned in July with an in-person event. Apparently, the festival’s director Thierry Fremaux is in talks with certain American distributors who are currently in the process of submitting completed pictures for consideration. While this optimistic forecasting doesn’t exactly square with the current national situation in France, Fremaux is holding out hope that Cannes can still take place between the dates of July 6 and July 17.
Spike Lee made history in March of this year when he was named the jury president for this year’s festival…again. Of course, there are also those rumors that Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” will make its premiere there (which would make sense, given the writer-director’s history of showcasing his last few films at illustrious European film festivals). Apparently, according to the report, the festival may also potentially screen the curious-sounding “Pig,” which stars Nicolas Cage as a truffle hunter who goes to extraordinary lengths to retrieve a prized foraging pig (say no more, we’re in).
READ MORE: Tribeca Film Festival Announces Plans For In-Person Event In June
Truly, it’s pretty much impossible to predict what Cannes in the time of COVID will look like, although Cannes executive director Jérôme Paillard seems confident that the new, reimagined festival will be “fully respectful” of new health and safety regulations. This could mean more outdoor events (hey, it seems to be working for Tribeca), and almost certainly more social distancing requirements at screenings. There is also the chance this could all blow up in their faces, as we saw with last year’s event being fully canceled after the organizers failed to come up with a backup plan and waited too long to finally make a decision.
However, if things go as planned, expect to see some high-profile English language titles landing on the Croisette this summer, and potentially even some early virtual screenings in May. Obviously, a lot can happen between now and July, but don’t tell that to the agents, producers, and showbiz people who have already booked their flights and hotel room accommodations.
