Cannes features Brazilian film and mass testing for in-person return

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – When the coronavirus pandemic hit the world in 2020, several film festivals adapted to the moment and launched online editions – not the case of Cannes,
which cancelled last year’s festival.

After a difficult year for the film industry, the traditional French festival will be back in 2021 with an in-person edition, to take place between July 6 and 17.

The list of nominees for the 73rd edition was announced on Thursday, June 3, and there are no Brazilians running for the Palme d’Or, but Karim Ainouz’s Mariner of the Mountains, from Ceará, will be screened in the “Special Sessions” section.

The list includes renowned names such as American Wes Anderson, who is competing with The French Dispatch, Frenchman Leos Carax, with Annette, and Iranian Asghar Farhadi, with A Hero.

This is the Festival’s first edition since 2019, and there are many expectations about how it will play out, as the date, two months later than customary, coincides with the easing of restrictive measures in France. In an interview with Deadline, Thierry Frémaux, the event’s organizer, disclosed that in addition to the newly nominated, those selected for the 2020 edition are also invited to attend the in-person event, and that screenings will be at full capacity.

“It will be 100%, but there will be masks. This summer it is possible that we may not wear them in open venues. On the red carpet, artists and crews will be able to remove the mask while maintaining the recommended distance from photographers. We will see how it goes little by little,” Frémaux clarified.

Among the safety protocols already announced for the edition is a screening service that will offer visitors rapid Covid-19 tests throughout the day at a location near the event grounds.

To participate in the festival, guests will have to comply with one of three options: present a vaccination certificate proving that the second dose was administered more than 14 days before, a negative PCR or antigen test performed up to 48 hours prior, and which will need to be repeated throughout the event, or proof of immunity through a positive antibody test
or RT-PCR dated no less than 15 days before.

The buffet is guaranteed, but food will be served at tables, to reduce the risk of infection.

However, the main concern lies with international competitors, since traveling around the world still poses a complicated logistic challenge. Starting next Wednesday, June 9, France will reopen its borders to travelers from abroad, with limitations that vary according to each country’s situation – Brazil, for instance, is on the red list, which means that even
vaccinated people require an emergency motive to travel, in addition to other safety measures such as testing and isolation.

Americans and British, on the amber list, will not have to undergo quarantine to enter France as long as they can demonstrate full vaccination, but still need to present a negative PCR or antigenic test. For European countries and a few others classified as green, entry is allowed without testing, as long as vaccination is proven.

In addition to actors, directors and the entire production team, Cannes will also host a large contingent of critics and journalists from several countries throughout the edition, and travel restrictions may be a hindrance to the coverage of the event.

To mitigate the impasse, the festival plans to offer coordinated screenings in other cities around the world, such as London, Paris, and New York, which lessens the need for travel and ensures effective coverage of the festival. “This year in particular, there are many journalists who are unable to travel, and we are working on that,” Frémaux told Deadline.

Since the pandemic broke out, Cannes is the largest film festival to be held in person. Between June 9 and 20, the Berlinale in Germany will also be held in person, in an open-air model, with screenings spread across 16 venues in the capital. The success or failure of these events should dictate the steps for the sector, which is betting on vaccination to return to the pre-pandemic golden age.

In its traditional format, Cannes is an attempt to return to normality, and the expectation is that the industry will be present. “Most filmmakers will be there. With the exception of those who have scheduling issues, everything looks good at the moment,” Frémaux concludes. At the end of the day, everyone hopes that he is right.

Source: Veja

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error