Cannes Film Festival
On the 31st of May 1939, the city of Cannes was selected to host a new international film festival. This decision came after Jean Zay, the French Minister of National Education, proposed the idea alongside historian Philippe Erlanger and journalist Robert Favre Le Bret. The motivation was not artistic but political. France wanted to create an alternative to the Venice Film Festival, which had become compromised by fascist influence.
The situation in 1938 reached a breaking point when Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler overruled jury decisions at the Venice event. They awarded the Coppa Mussolini for Best Film to Luciano Serra, Pilot, an Italian war movie produced under Mussolini's son. They also gave the award for Best Foreign Film to Olympia, a German documentary about the Berlin Olympics that violated regulations prohibiting documentaries from winning.
Outraged by these actions, French, British, and American jury members withdrew from the festival. They intended never to return. This protest led directly to the founding of a free festival in Cannes. On the 31st of August 1939, Hollywood stars like Gary Cooper and Marlene Dietrich arrived via a chartered Ocean liner. The opening night gala screened The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Just one day later on the 1st of September, German troops invaded Poland. The festival was postponed for ten days. By the 3rd of September, France and the United Kingdom declared war against Germany. The French government ordered general mobilization, and the festival was finally cancelled before it could truly begin.
In 1946, the festival relaunched from the 20th of September to the 5th of October with twenty-one countries presenting films at the former Casino of Cannes. The structure changed again in 1947 when the event became known as the Festival du film de Cannes. Budgetary problems caused cancellations in 1948 and 1950.
The artistic side began developing during the early 1950s alongside tourism and press attention. Controversies over film selections led to the creation of the Critics' Prize to recognize original works. In 1954, the Special Jury Prize was awarded for the first time. A major shift occurred in 1955 when the Palme d'Or replaced the Grand Prix du Festival that had been given until then.
Jean Cocteau served three times as jury president during these years. He stated that the festival should be a no man's land where politics has no place. Despite this ideal, films like Night and Fog in 1956 and Hiroshima, My Love in 1959 were excluded from competition due to diplomatic concerns.
Parallel sections emerged to diversify the program. The International Critics' Week was born in 1962 by the French Union of Film Critics to showcase first and second works by directors globally. In 1969, Pierre-Henri Deleau created the Directors' Fortnight after filmmakers interrupted projections in solidarity with striking students.
In 1949, the Palais des Festivals was expressly constructed on the seafront promenade of La Croisette. Its inaugural roof blew off during a storm while still unfinished. The festival moved to spring in 1951 to avoid direct competition with the Venice Film Festival held in autumn.
A commercial character arrived in 1959 with the founding of the Marché du Film (Film Market). This initiative facilitated exchanges between sellers and buyers in the film industry. Today it stands as the first international platform for film commerce. The market grew significantly alongside the festival's expanding global influence.
In 1983, a much bigger Palais des Festivals et des Congrès was built to host the event. The new building earned the nickname The Bunker and provoked criticism because it was hardly finished when the event began. Several technical problems occurred during its early years. The Directors' Fortnight remained in the old building throughout this transition.
The festival length decreased to thirteen days under General Delegate Gilles Jacob starting in 1978. This reduction lowered the number of selected films. Jacob also changed jury composition by introducing celebrities and professionals from the film industry instead of relying solely on academics.
Recent years have seen numerous gender and sexual controversies surrounding the Cannes Film Festival. In 2015, an incident known as Heelgate stopped female attendees from entering red carpet premieres for wearing flat soled shoes. Numerous female celebrities responded by wearing flat shoes or no shoes at other premieres to show solidarity.
General Delegate Thierry Frémaux reportedly banned selfies on the red carpet that same year. Following past sexual controversies and the MeToo movement arising from the Harvey Weinstein scandal, officials announced a telephone hotline in 2018. Victims could report incidents of sexual harassment and other crimes through this line in collaboration with the French government.
Streaming platform conflicts emerged in 2017 when the festival selected two Netflix-produced films for main competition. Since 2018, enforcement of an eighteen-month theatrical screening window resulted in the American streaming giant withdrawing completely from the festival. That decision has been maintained ever since.
Geopolitical tensions appeared in 2022 when the festival denied press accreditation to Russian journalists associated with outlets not opposing the Russo-Ukrainian war. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky made a video appearance during opening night discussing the war's role in cinema.
The president of the festival represents the event before financial partners, public authorities, and media. This leader is elected by the board of directors officially named the French Association of the Film Festival. The board includes authorities from the world of cinema alongside public authorities subsidizing the event.
A president holds a renewable three-year mandate and appoints team members including the general delegate with board approval. Sometimes a president becomes honorary president after their final term. Gilles Jacob transitioned from general delegate to president position in 2001, creating two new roles to take over his former post: general director and artistic director.
In 2007, artistic director Thierry Frémaux became again the general delegate of the Festival. The general secretary handles reception of works and other practical matters. Iris Knobloch was elected first woman president of the festival in 2022, succeeding Pierre Lescure who had served since 2014.
Juries hold sole responsibility for choosing which films receive awards. They meet annually at the historic Villa Domergue to select winners. Jurors are chosen from international artists based on body of work and peer respect. The appointment of jury presidents follows annual management proposals submitted to the board.
The most prestigious award given at Cannes is the Palme d'Or or Golden Palm for the best film. This prize competes within the Main Competition section where usually twenty-two films vie for recognition. All main competition films project at the Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière venue holding more than 2300 seats.
Other significant prizes include the Grand Prix of the Festival, Jury Prize, Best Director award, and acting categories for both male and female performers. The Short Film Palme d'Or rewards approximately ten short films competing in their own category. The Caméra d'Or recognizes the best first film across any official selection including Directors' Fortnight and International Critics' Week.
In 2013, the festival made its only decision to award the Palme d'Or not just to director Abdellatif Kechiche but also to lead actresses Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos for Blue Is the Warmest Colour.
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Common questions
When was the Cannes Film Festival first selected to be hosted in France?
The city of Cannes was selected to host a new international film festival on the 31st of May 1939. This decision followed a proposal by Jean Zay, the French Minister of National Education, alongside historian Philippe Erlanger and journalist Robert Favre Le Bret.
Why did the original 1939 Cannes Film Festival get cancelled before it began?
The festival was cancelled because German troops invaded Poland on the 1st of September 1939 just one day after the opening gala. The French government ordered general mobilization and declared war against Germany on the 3rd of September, forcing the cancellation.
What major change occurred to the top award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955?
A major shift occurred in 1955 when the Palme d'Or replaced the Grand Prix du Festival that had been given until then. The most prestigious award given at Cannes is now known as the Palme d'Or or Golden Palm for the best film.
How many times has the Palme d'Or been awarded to both a director and lead actresses together?
In 2013, the festival made its only decision to award the Palme d'Or not just to director Abdellatif Kechiche but also to lead actresses Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos for Blue Is the Warmest Colour. This remains the sole instance where this specific dual award structure was applied.
Who became the first woman president of the Cannes Film Festival and when did she take office?
Iris Knobloch was elected first woman president of the festival in 2022. She succeeded Pierre Lescure who had served since 2014 and holds a renewable three-year mandate appointed by the board of directors.