The Cannes Film Festival has at last responded to pressure created by COVID-19 and announced that it ‘cannot be held on the scheduled dates, from May 12 to 23. 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.’
On March 6, it announced that accreditations were running 9% ahead of last year. On March 11, festival president Pierre Lescure was still expecting to go ahead. But last Friday, the French government forbad any gatherings of more than 100 people, while shutting all schools, universities and daycare centres. Cinema closures followed.