Postponement of Cannes Film Festival Due to COVID-19 Spread... Increasing Confusion in Domestic Film Industry (Comprehensive)

"Considering Opening from Late June to Early July"
Films Preparing for Release Aligned with Cannes Festival Face Setbacks... Restrictions Also Affect Film Imports

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jong-gil] The Cannes International Film Festival, originally scheduled to be held on May 12, has been postponed due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). On the 19th (local time), the executive committee announced, "We are unable to hold the 73rd festival as planned," and added, "We are considering holding it from late June to early July." They plan to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and announce future schedules accordingly.

This is the first time the Cannes International Film Festival schedule has been postponed. In 1948 and 1950, the festival was not held at all due to financial difficulties. In 1968, the event was canceled midway due to the social transformation movement (May 1968 protests).

Initially, the executive committee showed determination to proceed by announcing the invited films on April 16. However, as the spread of COVID-19 accelerated in France recently, they decided to postpone. As of the 19th, France had 9,134 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 244 deaths.

Director Spike Lee, who serves as the jury president, said in an interview with Variety on the same day, "I agree with the executive committee's decision. There are people who have lost their jobs and will not receive their salaries next month due to the spread of COVID-19," adding, "All the things we love?movies, TV, sports?must be deprioritized for now."

If the COVID-19 situation prolongs, the festival may be postponed until after autumn. Cancellation is also not out of the question. However, since many companies worldwide have already paid participation fees for the film market, the possibility of cancellation is considered low.

This postponement is expected to have a considerable impact on the domestic film industry. Many films schedule their domestic release dates and conduct promotion and marketing based on their invitation to the Cannes International Film Festival. With the festival pushed to summer, plans are inevitably disrupted. Films originally targeting the summer peak season will also face competition for attention.

The situation is no different for import distributors. With the Cannes Film Market postponed, restrictions on film imports have arisen. In particular, it will be difficult to purchase films competing in the festival's competition section, which premiere at Cannes, until summer, posing challenges for next year's lineup planning.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.