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Cannes Film Festival | HearLore
Common questions
When was the Cannes Film Festival first selected to be hosted in Cannes?
The city of Cannes was selected to host the first International Film Festival on the 31st of May 1939. This decision was made just days before the world would be plunged into war.
Why was the Cannes Film Festival created in 1939?
The festival was born out of a desperate need to create a neutral ground for cinema free from political interference. It was established after the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and the German leader Adolf Hitler overruled the jury to award their own propaganda films at the Venice Film Festival.
When did the Cannes Film Festival officially reopen after World War II?
The festival finally reopened on the 20th of September 1946. It took place at the former Casino of Cannes with films from twenty-one countries.
When was the Cannes Film Festival moved to the spring season?
The festival moved to the spring in 1951 to avoid clashing with the Venice Film Festival. This decision defined its annual calendar for decades.
Who became the first female president of the Cannes Film Festival in 2022?
Iris Knobloch was elected as the first woman president of the festival in 2022. She succeeded Pierre Lescure in this role.
When was the Cannes Film Festival cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
The festival faced its first cancellation since 1968 in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision marked a break from its tradition of holding the event in May.
Cannes Film Festival
On the 31st of May 1939, the city of Cannes was selected to host the first International Film Festival, a decision made just days before the world would be plunged into war. The festival was born out of a desperate need to create a neutral ground for cinema, free from the political interference that had corrupted the Venice Film Festival. In 1938, the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and the German leader Adolf Hitler had overruled the jury to award their own propaganda films, the Coppa Mussolini, to Italian war movies and a Nazi documentary about the Berlin Olympics. Outraged by this blatant manipulation, the French, British, and American jury members withdrew from Venice, vowing to create a festival where art would not be held hostage by politics. The French government, led by Minister Jean Zay, and supported by officials like Philippe Erlanger and Robert Favre Le Bret, chose Cannes for its glamorous appeal and financial backing. The inaugural event was scheduled to open on the 31st of August 1939, featuring Hollywood stars like Gary Cooper and Marlene Dietrich, but the invasion of Poland on the 1st of September forced a cancellation. The festival was officially postponed and then permanently halted by the outbreak of the Second World War, leaving the dream of a free cinema festival dormant for seven years.
Rebirth and the Golden Age
The festival finally reopened on the 20th of September 1946, taking place at the former Casino of Cannes with films from twenty-one countries. The early years were defined by a struggle to establish artistic credibility while managing the logistical challenges of a post-war world. In 1949, the Palais des Festivals was constructed on the La Croisette promenade, though its roof famously blew off during a storm before the building was even finished. The festival moved to the spring in 1951 to avoid clashing with the Venice Film Festival, a decision that would define its annual calendar for decades. The 1950s saw the introduction of the Critics' Prize and the Special Jury Prize, acknowledging the need to recognize daring filmmakers who might be overlooked by traditional juries. In 1959, the Marché du Film was founded, transforming the event from a purely artistic gathering into a massive commercial engine. This period also saw the exclusion of significant films like Night and Fog and Hiroshima, My Love due to diplomatic concerns, a contradiction that Jean Cocteau, a three-time jury president, lamented by stating the festival should be a no man's land where politics has no place. The 1960s brought further evolution, with the creation of the International Critics' Week in 1962 to showcase first and second works by directors, and the appointment of the first female jury president, Olivia de Havilland, in 1965.
The 1968 festival was halted on the 19th of May, marking a turning point where cinema and politics collided violently. Filmmakers like Carlos Saura and Miloš Forman withdrew their films, and on the 18th of May, director Louis Malle led a group of filmmakers to interrupt the projections in solidarity with striking students and laborers. This act of protest forced the reinstatement of the festival president and led to the creation of the Film Directors' Society. The following year, the Directors' Fortnight was established as a non-competitive section to program films with independent judgment. The 1970s brought administrative changes with Robert Favre Le Bret and Maurice Bessy introducing new selection techniques and relieving films from diplomatic pressures. In 1978, Gilles Jacob became General Delegate and introduced the Caméra d'Or for the best first film and the Un Certain Regard section. The festival was shortened to thirteen days, and the jury composition shifted from film academics to include industry celebrities. The 1980s saw the construction of a new, larger Palais des Festivals, nicknamed The Bunker, which faced criticism for its unfinished state and technical issues. The red carpet was introduced for the first time in 1987, and by 1989, a hundred directors signed a declaration against all forms of censorship, signaling the festival's growing role as a political platform.
The Digital and Modern Era
The turn of the 21st century brought significant structural changes and a focus on technological advancement. In 1998, Gilles Jacob created the Cinéfondation to support new screenwriters, which evolved into La Résidence and L'Atelier to help young directors refine their work. The festival officially adopted the name Festival de Cannes in 2002, and in 2007, Thierry Frémaux became General Delegate, a role he has held since. The 2000s saw the introduction of Cannes Classics to celebrate restored historical films and the Cannes Court Métrage for short films. The festival faced its first cancellation since 1968 in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a decision that marked a break from its tradition of holding the event in May. In 2021, the festival returned with strict health measures, including mask mandates for attendees, and introduced the Cannes Premiere section to accommodate films that missed the main competition. The 2022 edition saw the election of Iris Knobloch as the first woman president of the festival, succeeding Pierre Lescure. The festival also denied press accreditation to Russian journalists associated with outlets supporting the Russo-Ukrainian war, and in 2025, the festival faced a tragedy when Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna was killed in an Israeli airstrike, leading to a mass condemnation by over 350 directors and producers.
The Machinery of Prestige
The Cannes Film Festival operates through a complex hierarchy of juries and sections, each with its own specific mandate and prestige. The Main Competition, held in the Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière, features approximately 22 films competing for the Palme d'Or, the festival's most prestigious award. The Un Certain Regard section, projected in the Salle Debussy, focuses on upcoming filmmakers and innovative works, while the Short Films Competition awards the Short Film Palme d'Or. The festival also includes the Cinéfondation for student films, the Cannes Classics for restored heritage, and the Cannes Immersive section for virtual reality productions introduced in 2024. Parallel sections like the Critics' Week and Directors' Fortnight provide platforms for avant-garde and independent cinema, while the Marché du Film serves as the busiest film market in the world. The juries, meeting annually at the historic Villa Domergue, are composed of international artists and professionals who determine the winners. The festival's impact extends beyond the awards, serving as a crucial showcase for European cinema and a venue for producers to launch new films and sell their works to global distributors. The culture of the festival has been explored in fiction and non-fiction, with novels and films using the event as a backdrop to explore themes of sex trafficking, terrorism, and the excesses of the film industry.
Scandals and Solidarity
In recent years, the festival has been the center of numerous controversies that have tested its reputation and values. The incident known as Heelgate in 2015 saw numerous female attendees stopped from entering red carpet premieres for wearing flat-soled shoes, leading to a protest where celebrities wore flat shoes or no shoes to show solidarity. The same year, General Delegate Thierry Frémaux reportedly banned selfies on the red carpet, a move that drew criticism for its rigidity. The Harvey Weinstein scandal and the subsequent MeToo movement prompted the festival to create a telephone hotline in 2018 for victims to report sexual harassment and other crimes. The festival also faced a major controversy in 2017 when it selected two Netflix-produced films for its main competition, leading to a dispute over the theatrical screening window. Since 2018, the enforcement of an eighteen-month theatrical window for main competition titles resulted in Netflix withdrawing completely from the festival. The festival has also been a stage for political protests, such as the 2022 decision to deny press accreditation to Russian journalists and the 2025 condemnation of the killing of Fatima Hassouna. These events highlight the festival's ongoing struggle to balance its role as a celebration of cinema with its responsibility to address global political and social issues.