The question will be on the agenda of the board of directors of the Cannes Film Festival, which is being held this Tuesday.
While the resurgence of the epidemic, the appearance of new variants and the delay in vaccination makes the holding of the Festival more and more uncertain, as planned, between May 11 and 22, the possibility of a postponement of the 2021 edition will be discussed.
It is likely that no announcement will be made immediately.
However, behind the scenes, the Festival is preparing its holding in July.
From July 5, a priori, and until the 17th, or even the 25th.
"Nothing is acted, but it is not a rumor", assured the general delegate of the Festival Thierry Frémaux in Nice Matin this weekend after leaks in the American press last week.
On the side of the town hall of Cannes, which we contacted, we are assured that it is "too early" to speak.
Everything converges, however, towards an unfolding of the event on these dates.
In the middle of the summer holidays and in the height of the tourist season, holding the festival in August would not be satisfactory either for the city of Cannes, the main contributor to the event, or for the Festival.
The 2021 edition promises to be very rich
An organization in September also seems very uncertain because the start of the school year is already "squatted" by the Venice Film Festival, which will be held from September 1 to 11, and by the Toronto Film Festival, from September 9 to 19 ... Several film festivals have opted this year for an online edition.
This is still the case this week for the Premiers Plans Festival in Angers (January 25 to 31) and the Gérardmer Fantastic Film Festival (January 27 to 31).
But the management of the largest film festival in the world will only study this solution as a last resort ... Especially since the 2021 edition promises to be very rich.
Many films dream of a presentation on the Croisette, such as "Benedetta" by Paul Verhoeven with Virginie Efira (about an Italian lesbian nun), "Annette", a musical film by Leos Carax with Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver or even "The French Dispatch ”by Wes Anderson, which has an astounding cast (Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Timothée Chalamet, Owen Wilson, Benicio Del Toro…).
If the arrival of American teams is also suspended to the health context, the selectors will be spoiled for choice with regard to French films since many of them have had to postpone their release due to the closure of theaters.
Among the films that will be ready for the spring - and a fortiori for the summer -, there are "Les Olympiades" by Jacques Audiard, "For better and for worse" by Stéphane Brizé, "Everything went well" by François Ozon, "Presidents" by Anne Fontaine, "Lui" by Guillaume Canet, "Arthur Rambo" by Laurent Cantet, "Bergman Island" by Mia Hansen-Løve, "Tromperie" by Arnaud Desplechin, "Albatros" by Xavier Beauvois, “La Fracture” by Catherine Corsini, “In his lifetime” by Emmanuelle Bercot, “Le Quai de Ouistreham” by Emmanuel Carrère or even “A young girl who goes well”, the first film directed by Sandrine Kiberlain.
This 2021 edition could well be chaired by Spike Lee: "I will be there in May", had in any case declared last October the American filmmaker, chosen to chair the 2020 edition ... If the world of cinema impatiently awaits a clarification on the Croisette, Cannes traders also hope that the Festival can be held this year.
“The organization of a festival in May would have made it possible to launch the summer season.
But whether in July or May, the maintenance of the Festival would be very good news anyway, ”says Alain Lahouti, President of the catering branch of the Union des Métiers et des Industries de l'Hôtellerie du Bassin Cannes.