Cannes Film Festival Officially Canned

Cannes’t stop, won’t stop. Photo: LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images

This year’s Cannes Film Festival in France has officially been postponed by organizers. Films won’t compete for the coveted Palme d’Or (which Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite snatched up last year) until at least June, according to a release. “Today, we have made the following decision: The Festival de Cannes cannot be held on the scheduled dates, from May 12 to 23,� the statement reads. “Several options are considered in order to preserve its running, the main one being a simple postponement, in Cannes, until the end of June-beginning of July, 2020. As soon as the development of the French and international health situation will allow us to assess the real possibility, we will make our decision known, in accordance with our ongoing consultation with the French Government and Cannes’ City Hall as well as with the Festival’s Board Members, Film industry professionals and all the partners of the event.�

This year, acclaimed director Spike Lee was named Cannes Film Festival jury president, two years after winning an award for BlacKkKlansman. Lee, who famously shows up to Cannes with a lot of opinions, will just have to wait a few more months. Several film and musical festivals, including SXSW and Coachella, have been postponed as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Government officials are encouraging social distancing, meaning no theaters, no concerts, and no film festivals. “In the meantime,� the statement added, “the Festival de Cannes lends its vocal support to all of those who firmly call on everyone to respect the general lockdown, and ask to show solidarity in these difficult times for the entire world.� You know what they say: “Au revoir� doesn’t mean “goodbye,� it means “goodbye until we meet again.�