It is Cannes’ buzziest lineup in years, and it comes amid signs of modernization. The festival, which has been so traditionalist in years past as to forbid red carpet selfies, has a surprising new tech sponsor that brings with it an audience of more than 1 billion people: TikTok. “It would be crazy to ignore this means of communication,” Pierre Lescure, president of the festival, said of the partnership in the lineup press conference.
“What these two years has shown us is that we can do things differently, and that’s great,” says Courtney Sexton of CNN Films, which will bring, Ethan Hawke’s six-hour documentary about Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. “But it’s been such a loss for the work we do. The collective act of watching a movie together cannot be had in a virtual environment. It can’t be replicated. I want to absorb and experience all of it.
“Cannes is going to be absolutely madcap this year. I’m super excited, I’m champing at the bit,” says Jonathan Yunger, co-president of Millennium Media. “We did the virtual European Film Market [in February], and all our buyers were, ‘Let’s have a drink in Cannes,’ ‘Let’s have a drink in Cannes.’ I think this Cannes is going to turn us all into alcoholics.”
Film_London The title is catching I admit