Cannes Film Festival 2021: All you need to know about 74th edition, from jury to screenings and COVID-19 regulations

Cannes is back.

The lights are in position, the stars en route to the French Riviera. And Spike Lee’s face is peering out onto the Croisette from a huge banner announcing Tuesday’s debut of the world’s premier film festival.

What are the festival dates?

The show is running 14 months late, thanks to the pandemic. And it’s about time for the city’s merchants, hoteliers and restaurateurs, who hope the return of the festival’s glamour and revenues heralds a broader renaissance for the region and France’s cultural world after an exceptionally damaging year.

The 74th edition of the Cannes Festival will be held from 6 to 17 July.

What are the safety measures at Cannes with regards to COVID?

• Cannes organizers are attempting the first full-scale film festival in the coronavirus era, despite worries about the delta variant which is spreading fast across Europe.
• Virus infections in the Cannes area have been slightly lower than the national per capita average in recent weeks, and vaccinations are going slightly faster. But local officials have expressed concern that the opening up to foreigners puts tourist destinations like Cannes at new risk of outbreaks.
• Masks are required at festival events, and attendees are required to test every 48 hours. But moviegoers can sit next to each other, and the festival has no virtual component.

Thierry Frémaux, artist director of the festival, addressed the press on the eve of opening day and described protocols that were evolving.

“We always said last year that if the festival was cancelled, it was because the situation was more serious than the existence of a film festival also the biggest festival in the world,” said Fremaux. “And the situation, as you know, was serious. It is not over. The epidemic is not conquered. But this year, we will have to be careful — be reasonable and be very careful. ”

Festival employees walk past a Palme d'Or sign on a railing during preparations for the 74th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, July 5, 2021 (AP Photo)

Who are the jury members?

This year, Spike Lee will be the President of the Jury. It will be a female-majority jury for the Cannes festival, which has faced criticism in recent years for its lack of female representation. He will be assisted by Mélanie Laurent, Mati Diop, Mylène Farmer, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jessica Hausner, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Tahar Rahim and Song Kang-Ho.

Jodie Foster to receive Palme d'Or honour

• Veteran Hollywood actor and filmmaker Jodie Foster will receive the honorary Palme d'Or at the opening ceremony of Cannes Film Festival. The honour recognises artistic career achievement and a commitment to major issues.
• The 58-year-old actor said Cannes holds a special place in her career spanning over five decades. She first attended the film gala in 1976 as a teenager with Taxi Driver, which ultimately left with the Palme d'Or, the highest prize awarded at the festival.
• "Cannes is a festival to which I owe so much, it has completely changed my life. My first time on the Croisette was a defining moment for me. Showcasing one of my films here has always been a dream of mine," said Foster in a statement.

Which Indian film is scheduled to screen this year?

Dhumkkudiya, based on the true story of a 14-year-old minor who is a survivor of human trafficking and sexual abuse, will be screened on 12 July. The director of the film, Nandlal Nayak, a Ford Scholar, folk artist, music composer and former Creative Director for United Colours of Benetton, says he is still haunted by the eyes of the girl on whose real-life story he based his movie which has already picked up critical acclaim. Dhumkkudiya is produced by Sumit Agarwal and Nayak.

Other films to look out for

Holy Motors director Leos Carax's Los Angeles-set drama Annette, starring Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver, will open the festival. Annette, Carax's first film in English, will premiere in Competition nine years after the premiere of his film Holy Motors.

Set in contemporary Los Angeles, Annette tells the story of Henry (Driver), a stand-up comedian with a fierce sense of humour, and Ann (Cotillard), a famous singer. In the spotlight, they are the perfect couple, healthy, happy and glamorous but the birth of their first child, Annette, a mysterious girl with an exceptional destiny, will change their lives.

• Bill Murray's concert film, New Worlds, the Cradle of a Civilization - a film about his show tunes collaboration with a German cellist - will have a special screening at the festival.
• Also appearing outside the official competition is the latest animated feature from Ari Folman, Israeli director of the beloved Waltz with Bashir that electrified Cannes in 2008.
• Folman's latest, Where is Anne Frank? follows the journey of Kitty, the imaginary friend from Frank's renowned diary of her time trying to evade the Nazis as a child in wartime Amsterdam.
• Enfant terrible Gaspar Noe is also returning to Cannes, where his transgressive films, from the drug-fuelled Climax to the 3D pornfest Love, have made him a fixture at the world's leading film get-together. Noe's latest, Vortex, stars another master of shock cinema, Italian director Dario Argento, and will run in the new Cannes Premier section of the festival.
• The official selection also includes names such as Wes Anderson (The French Dispatch), Nanni Moretti (Tre Piani) and Sean Penn (Flag Day), competing for the Palme d'Or.

(With inputs from agencies)