The Cannes Film Festival this year is not tipped toward the U.S., that’s for sure.
They’ve just announced the jury, and only two Americans are on it: Elle Fanning and director Kelly Reichardt. They will join jury president Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu and Yorgos Lanthimos, Paweł Pawlikowski, Maimouna N’Diaye, Alice Rohrwacher, Enki Bilal, and Robin Campillo.
There are few American selections, as well, or even British ones, with stars. Jim Jarmusch’s opening night film, “The Day of the Dead,” and Elton John’s biopic, “Rocketman,” are by far the biggest attractions publicity-wise. Most of the other selections are French, Chinese, or Ukrainian.
It’s all a matter of timing, i.e. what movies are ready, which cinema-related people are available to be jurors for two weeks. The movies that are foreign to US press, I’m sure, are wonderful. But Cannes is an expensive proposition, and so far the lure to make the journey is not as enticing as usual.
If Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” makes it, expect there to be a 24 hour news window of excitement. It will certainly help the Festival in its second week. But Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt won’t be milling about at Cannes events. They’ll be holed up at the Hotel du Cap, and then out.
Meantime, amFAR still hasn’t released any information about their fundraising gala from 2018 at the du Cap’s Eden Roc. They’ve never said how much they made or lost, and that’s on purpose. Their upcoming 2019 gala will be just as mysterious. And with few celebs around, amFAR will have to import or hold them in town–also very expensive. I’m amazed anyone is giving them money with no transparency.
