This extraordinary "2020 Special Cannes" event will invite the general public to the Louis Lumière auditorium of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, where four previews of films from the 2020 Official Selection, the short films selected in Competition and the Cinéfondation's school films will be screened. A Jury, whose composition will be announced shortly, will award the Palme d'or for short films and the Cinéfondation prizes.
The event will open with Un triomphe (The Big Hit!) by Emmanuel Courcol and with Kad Merad, in the presence of the film crew and with the participation of Memento Films, and will conclude with the preview of Bruno Podalydès' Les Deux Alfred (The French Tech), in the presence of the director and lead actress Sandrine Kiberlain, and with the participation of UGC Distribution
Pierre Lescure, President of the Festival de Cannes said: “We are delighted to see the Festival hosted by the Cannes City Hall in October, just as we were sad not to have held the event in May. Thanks to this collaboration, films from the Official Selection will now be shown on the Croisette again. This is our way to be in Cannes, alongside its population and all the professionals with whom we work hand in hand every year.”
Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate of the Festival de Cannes added: "The collection of four films from the Official Selection, the short film competition, the film school competition, and the dinners and meetings epitomise the happiness we’ll all feel to be together in Cannes in October! The films of the Official Selection are currently playing to cinema-goers in France, in Europe and throughout the world. It's a great sign to see them making a stopover in Cannes, before we turn our attention to the 2021 season.”
David Lisnard, Mayor of Cannes: "We wanted the presence of the Festival de Cannes in 2020 to symbolise our fight on behalf of the events sector, which provides a living for hundreds of families, as well as the cultural impact for our city. It was imperative therefore that the Festival show up in Cannes for this extraordinary event, which respects all the usual rules: quality screenings in front of a regular audience, in evening dress, on the famous red carpet.
The next Festival de Cannes, – the 74th in the series – will take place from 11 to 22 May 2021