Cannes Film Festival kicks off with glitter, debate and a noticeable Hollywood void

Cannes: The Cannes Film Festival rolled out its trademark red carpets on Tuesday, launching its annual celebration of global cinema while confronting growing anxiety around artificial intelligence and an unusually quiet showing from major Hollywood studios. 

This year’s edition brings together 22 contenders in the main competition for the Palme d’Or, the festival’s top honour, which last year went to the politically charged Iranian film ‘It Was Just an Accident’ by Jafar Panahi. But, as has become common before the screenings begin, much of the discussion has centred on industry challenges rather than the films themselves, with AI and Hollywood’s no-show dominating the conversation.

Festival pushes back against AI disruption

Festival director Thierry Frémaux used the eve of the opening to voice strong concern over the rapid encroachment of AI tools across filmmaking. He noted that dubbing artists, translators, writers and actors are already facing job losses due to emerging technology.

“What is certain... is that here in Cannes, we stand with the artists, we stand with the screenwriters and we stand with everyone in these professions, with actors and voice actors alike,” Frémaux said on Monday.

He even suggested that films could eventually carry labels similar to organic certifications, where “we will say 'this film has been made without artificial intelligence'”.

Yet, in a move underscoring the complexity of the issue, organisers simultaneously announced a new multi-year sponsorship with Meta, whose owner Mark Zuckerberg has heavily invested in AI. The partnership comes amid controversy surrounding Steven Soderbergh’s new documentary ‘John Lennon: The Last Interview’, which relied on AI-generated footage of Lennon and Yoko Ono, technology supplied in part through Meta.

The use of AI in film remains a flash point, having played a central role in the Hollywood strikes of 2023. Thousands of French actors and filmmakers also sounded the alarm earlier this year, warning in an open letter that AI tools were “plundering” creative talent and likening them to a “devouring hydra”.

Big studios stay away as Hollywood turmoil continues

Cannes, renowned for blending global arthouse cinema with crowd-pleasing studio spectacles, is notably missing major US players this year. No major studio has chosen to premiere a blockbuster at the festival, a repeat of February’s Berlin International Film Festival, prompting questions about why giants such as Universal, Disney and Warner Bros. are skipping Europe’s top film events.

“I really hope that the studios come back,” Frémaux said, attributing their absence to shifting release schedules and ongoing industry upheavals.

Despite the gap left by Hollywood’s biggest banners, American cinema maintains a presence. James Gray’s ‘Paper Tiger’, featuring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, and Ira Sachs’s ‘The Man I Love’, starring Rami Malek, are among the titles competing for the Palme d’Or.

Star power still glittering on the Croisette

Even without major studio-backed blockbusters, Cannes is set for its usual flood of celebrities. A late addition to the programme brings a reunion of the cast of ‘The Fast and the Furious’ to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, with Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster attending Wednesday’s special screening.

John Travolta is also expected to draw attention with the unveiling of his directorial debut, ‘Propeller One-Way Night Coach’, centred on a young boy’s journey during the “golden age of aviation”.

The festival opens with the French film ‘The Electric Kiss’, with the main competition commencing on Wednesday. This year’s jury is led by South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, joined by Hollywood star Demi Moore and other international figures.

Park acknowledged the significance of his appointment. “I cannot help but feel a sense of emotion, realising that for the first time a Korean has become the head of the jury,” he said. “The moment has finally come.”

(With AFP inputs)