Hyderabad: The 77th edition of the largest film festival in the world, the Cannes Film Festival, will kickstart on Tuesday, May 14. All eyes are on the French Riviera, the city that holds the prestigious event featuring star-studded press conferences, red carpet appearances, movie premieres, and after parties as the day has finally arrived for the top names in the industry to gather in the South of France to celebrate cinema at the Cannes Film Festival.
The 77th edition of the dazzling festival, held on the French Riviera this year, is jam-packed with premieres, star-studded press conferences, and lavish parties. Although there is always controversy surrounding the Cannes Film Festival, there may be more unsettling energy this year than in previous years. The current festival edition will transpire against a backdrop of war, protest, impending strikes, and the intensifying #MeToo movement in France, a country that has for the most part rejected the movement.
Protests are anticipated in response to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Israel-Hamas war, and the development of AI. Despite all this, the Cannes is back in all its glory with India at the helm. Originally planned in 1939 as a counter to the fascist-influenced Venice Film Festival, Cannes is now the largest film festival in the world. Since 1946, it has been held yearly with the exception of 1948 and 1950, when it was postponed owing to financial difficulties. The festival is renowned for its carefully curated lineup of films that have gone on to win Oscars.
All You Need To Know About Cannes 2024:
Cannes Film Festival begins on May 14 and will end on May 25, 2024. The Festival De Cannes is open from May 13 to May 14, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. IST), and from May 15 to May 25, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (12:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. IST), according to the official website. The official website stated that individuals interested in watching the event can do so via the film festival's YouTube channel and official websites. The livestream will feature a variety of content, including the gorgeous red carpet, exclusive interviews, press conferences, and other activities.
Indian Celebrities To Watch Out For On The Cannes Red Carpet:
Bollywood is gearing up to grace the Cannes 2024 red carpet. Notable Bollywood stars such as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Sobhita Dhulipala will attend the festival. Many influencers and digital innovators will also make their Cannes debuts this year. Some new faces to keep an eye on are RJ Karishma, Nancy Tyagi, Niharika, Ankush Bahuguna, Vitiligo, Deepti Sadhwani, and many others. King, a singer-songwriter and rapper, is also preparing to make his festival debut.
Indian Films To Look Out For:
With an entry in practically every major section, Cannes and its sidebars have never previously accommodated eight Indian or India-themed films. As many as six of them will be competing for some or the other honours. With the exception of one, all of the Indian films at Cannes this year are directed by women or are about women.
- Payal Kapadia's India-French-Dutch co-production All We Imagine as Light, a Malayalam and Hindi film, is at the forefront of the Indian effort. It competes for the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, becoming the first Indian film to do so in three decades.
- Sandhya Suri's Santosh and Bulgarian director Konstantin Bojanov's The Shameless, in which Nepal replaces India, are both nominated for Un Certain Regard prizes.
- Chidananda S Naik, an FTII alumnus, with Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know has entered the prestigious La Cinef competition for film school entries.
- Mansi Maheshwari, an Indian filmmaker, represents the United Kingdom at La Cinef. The Meerut-born animation director is in the running with Bunnyhood, a self-reflective graduation film created at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in London.
- Karan Kandhari's Sister Midnight, an India-British noir drama starring Radhika Apte, is among the Directors' Fortnight entries.
- In Retreat, another India-based film is an austere meditation on the concept of home told via the minimalistic story of a man in his fifties who returns to Leh after a long absence and is terrified of reconnecting with the place he abandoned many years ago.
- Then, a 4K restored version of Shyam Benegal's crowdfunded 1976 film Manthan winds up India's presence at Cannes this year. The film was written by the filmmaker in collaboration with dramatist Vijay Tendulkar and photographed by Govind Nihalani.
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