Published 13:47 IST, June 4th 2020
Cannes Film Festival 2020: Organisers reveal lineup for the festival's cancelled edition
Cannes Film Festival 2020 was originally scheduled for mid-May but was later postponed to July due to the coronavirus outbreak and now has been cancelled.
One of the eminent film festivals around the world, Cannes Film Festival 2020 was originally scheduled for mid-May but was later postponed to July due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, owing to the global spread of the COVID-19 infection, the film festival has finally been called off by the organisers. However, from an empty theatre in Paris, the organisers of Festival de Cannes announced the films that would have gone up this year but unfortunately couldn't.
Organisers announce Cannes Film Festival lineup
At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, i.e. June 3, 2020, Pierre Lescure, the President of Cannes, along with Thierry Frémaux announced the lineup of the Festival de Cannes' 73rd edition, live from the UGC Normandie, Paris. For the occasion, Thierry Frémaux, the Festival's General Delegate, unveiled the 2020's Official Selection, comprising 56 films. The selections were an exercise as to what would have been for one of the most prestigious and glitzy gatherings celebrating cinema for 73 years. Initially, the organisers resorted to postponing the event but eventually gave up on the 2020 edition.
Spilling the beans on what would have premiered at La Croisette this year, the Cannes director revealed that two films of the '12 Years a Slave' filmmaker Steve McQueen titled Mangrove and Lover's Rock were headed to Cannes. Furthermore, he also revealed that Wes Anderson's film The French Dispatch and Pete Doctor's Soul were also a part of the list. Thierry Frémaux also announced that 56 films were shortlisted from a total of 2,067 submissions that had poured in despite the coronavirus pandemic. Sitting alongside the President of Cannes, Pierre Lescure, Frémaux expressed that he could see that films come alive.
The selection announcement is usually made in the month of April during a press conference. However, this year they presented it during a television interview which streamed online as well as aired on TV channels too. The Cannes President also addressed the unprecedented situation and poked fun at its upside saying this year's event was much quieter and Fremaux did not have to defend questions from several nations whose films were overlooked.
Updated 13:47 IST, June 4th 2020