The General Delegate of the Cannes Film Festival, Thierry Frémaux – Sean Thornton / Cover Images
Two weeks before the announcement of the films for the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival, its general delegate Thierry Fremaux spoke with the magazine Variety on the changes to be expected for the 2021 edition. And it starts with an out-of-competition section expanded to accommodate more films than usual.
“We decided, with Stéphanie Lamome and Christian Jeune, to refocus Un Certain Regard on its origins, that is to say on young filmmakers and innovative and personal films that we only see in theaters”, explains the artistic director of the festival.
Several locations
Moreover, everything will no longer happen only at the Palais des festivals. “We will organize out-of-competition screenings in the Debussy auditorium, which is a powerful room similar to that of the Auditorium Lumière (where the films in competition are screened). We will also be holding more “Midnight Sessions”. Finally, we will screen films in 4 of the 12 cinemas of the Cineum, a new and splendid multiplex in Cannes, which will open its doors in time for the festival. There will be more live events and more screenings on the beach. Taking place in July, the festival must also be appreciated by Cannes residents and holidaymakers, ”he explains.
Compliance with sanitary rules
The dispersion of the highlights of the festival in different places is not the only measure taken to fight against the spread of the coronavirus. “Like all events bringing together more than 1,000 people, the festival will be accessible to people with a health pass, that is to say to people fully vaccinated, or having a negative PCR test, or immunity to Covid -19 dating more than 15 days and less than 6 months. All of this will soon be part of the “routine”, ”adds Thierry Frémaux.
Regarding the rest of the health measures, the Cannes Film Festival will put in place public measures which will be announced in July. These will continue to evolve in the coming weeks depending on the health situation and the instructions from the government. Thierry Frémaux recalls that “it will be necessary to be disciplined, not to forget the basic gestures, the masks and the respect of the others. There will be dinners, but with tables of up to six people, etc. We all know how to do it, and we all want to be reasonable and responsible. “