Cannes 2021 Wants to be a Mask-Free Festival; Eyeing September/October Date

I reported in January that the Cannes Film Festival was very serious in eyeing a September/October event this year. It turns out the intel was accurate.

Cannes director Thierry Fremaux is out there promoting his new book, “Judoka,” which has nothing to do with cinema and everything to do about his time learning Judo, but in an interview with French publication, Liberation, Fremaux points out a few interesting possible outcomes for the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. The event recently had its mid-May date moved to July and it seems as though the head honcho of the biggest and most important film festival in the world isn’t opposed to moving the event into the fall.

Cannes’ likely fall move would have to do with his not being a fan of experiencing a “middle ground” version of the festival. Meaning, he wants Cannes 2021 to be without masks or other PPE. And if that’s the case where France requires that people wore masks at large public events, then he’d rather just wait it out saying, “The middle ground is the worst.”

At this point, I’m not shocked about anything regarding Cannes and its continuous experimenting of 2021 dates. This year is turning out to be as unpredictable as the last, but if the Sep/Oct rumor were true, such a move would disrupt the status quo. A number of producers and sales agents have already said they prefer the festival not be delayed any later than July, a Cannes Film Festival taking place in September or October would mean a potential battle against Venice and TIFF (both taking place in September). A board member on AwardsWorthy said it best; how would Cannes in September/October even work? Many Cannes films rely on the fall fests to launch internationally. A Cannes that happens after Venice, Telluride, Toronto and potentially NYFF would throw everything out of whack.

Then again, a director choosing between Cannes, Toronto or Venice can’t be that hard of a decision — premiering your film on the Croisette is the golden standard, the dream, if you will, for any serious-mind filmmaker. What, I imagine, would essentially happen is that the glossy major studio titles would go to TIFF/Venice and the prestige arthouse fare would go to Cannes. Of course, it’s all speculation. So is my list of what to expect if Cannes 2021 does happen, a potential competition lineup fit for the history books, with 7 Palme d’Or winning directors ready with new films.

As of now, the 2021 Cannes Film Festival is scheduled to begin on July 6.