PARIS: The Cannes Film Festival was on Thursday set to unveil the movies that will vie for its coveted Palme d’Or prize next month amid pressure on its bosses to take a stand on tackling abuse in the entertainment industry.
Cannes president Iris Knobloch and long-time festival director Thierry Fremaux will unveil the selection of in-competition films and other major premieres at a press conference in Paris.
So far, they have confirmed only that French screen legend Juliette Binoche will chair the jury, Robert De Niro will be given an honorary Palme d’Or, and Tom Cruise will appear for the world premiere of the last “Mission: Impossible” movie.
Tom Cruise to showcase last ‘Mission: Impossible’ at Cannes
The build-up to the festival has been overshadowed by a damning French parliamentary inquiry into the entertainment industry published on Wednesday, which concluded that mistreatment of performers was “endemic”.
Inquiry chairwoman Sandrine Rousseau, an outspoken feminist lawmaker from The Greens party, called on Cannes to set an example in stamping out sexual abuse, as well as physical and psychological violence.
“The Cannes Film Festival must be the place where this shift in mindset happens; the place where we say loud and clear… amid the glitter and the red carpets… that finally, we all want things to change: every one of us, at every level of the industry,” she told reporters.
The opening day of Cannes on May 13 is set to coincide with the verdict in the first sexual assault trial of French film legend Gerard Depardieu, which gripped the country last month.
Depardieu, a tarnished hero of French cinema, is the highest-profile figure to face criminal charges in France’s response to the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women to speak out against abuse.
He is accused of assaulting two women on the set of a film in 2021. He denies the allegations.
Stardust
Cinemas worldwide are desperate for some stardust and sparkling new films after a series of expensive Hollywood flops this year.
These include Disney’s live-action “Snow White”, superhero sequel “Captain America: Brave New World” and big budget sci-fi movie “Mickey 17” from South Korean director Bong Joon-ho.
The much-hyped “A Minecraft Movie”, released last week, was panned by critics but appears to be helping lift the gloom after a record-breaking opening weekend in the United States.
Despite the presence of Cruise and the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, Cannes is set to celebrate more independent, auteur cinema, as per tradition.
Around 20 movies are due to compete in the top competition category for the Palme d’Or, looking to emulate the success of last year’s winner, “Anora” by Sean Baker.
Terrence Malick, who won the top prize for “The Tree of Life” 14 years ago, has been tipped to return with a long-awaited project inspired by biblical stories.
Other festival veterans could also return, such as Jim Jarmusch (“Broken Flowers”, “Dead Man”) or Wes Anderson, who has also assembled Benicio Del Toro, Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson for his latest film.
Johansson, 40, might use the festival to present her directorial debut, “Eleanor the Great”, while another actress-turned-director, Kristen Stewart, has also recently completed her first feature film.
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