- Title: Final preparations on the Croisette as Cannes Film Festival about to kick off
- Date: 10th May 2016
- Summary: CANNES, FRANCE (MAY 9, 2016) (REUTERS) HARBOUR BOATS IN HARBOUR VARIOUS OF WORKERS INSTALLING TELEVISION SET ON BEACH EXTERIOR OF CARLTON HOTEL / STATUE HOLDING PALM GOLDEN PALM IN STATUE'S HANDS CANNES FILM FESTIVAL POSTER BEING INSTALLED ON PALAIS DES FESTIVALS PHOTOGRAPHERS / POSTER FILM FESTIVAL DIRECTOR THIERRY FREMAUX ARRIVING FOR INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) FILM FESTIVAL DIRECTOR, THIERRY FREMAUX, SAYING: "The problem is that when it's a good line-up -- and, I must confess, it is -- is that it creates a strong expectation, so it could create also quite some disappointment so, you'll see. We are happy, we have seen 1,800 films, among them we picked up a selection of 50-60 movies and among them 21 for competition. And from what we saw I think we got the best. Not only the best, but I'm still crying for the movies we couldn't take, because we have seen a lot of wonderful movies and wonderful films. Cinema is in a very good shape."
- Embargoed: 25th May 2016 13:07
- Keywords: Cannes Film Festival Fremaux movies Woody Allen
- Location: CANNES, FRANCE / UNKNOWN FILMING LOCATIONS / WEBSITE
- City: CANNES, FRANCE / UNKNOWN FILMING LOCATIONS / WEBSITE
- Country: France
- Topics: Film
- Reuters ID: LVA0014H83MFH
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT IS PART MUTE
Workers were busy on Tuesday (May 10) preparing Cannes for a flock of international film-makers, Hollywood stars and cinema lovers set to arrive in the French Riviera town on Wednesday.
Thierry Fremaux, the artistic director of the festival, said he was enthusiastic about this year's line-up, which will bring many Hollywood stars on the red carpet, and about the good shape of cinema in general.
"The problem is that when it's a good line-up -- and, I must confess, it is -- is that it creates a strong expectation, so it could create also quite some disappointment so, you'll see. We are happy, we have seen 1,800 films, among them we picked up a selection of 50-60 movies and among them 21 for competition. And from what we saw I think we got the best. Not only the best, but I'm still crying for the movies we couldn't take, because we have seen a lot of wonderful movies and wonderful films. Cinema is in a very good shape," he told Reuters Television.
This year's festival will open with Woody Allen's 'Cafe Society', shown out of competition. Allen is a regular of the festival, but never participates to the competition for the festival's top prize the Palme d'Or.
"Well, Woody Allen is someone we pay attention to, because he's coming from the middle of the sixties and he became a director. He used to send his films in Cannes, but without him attending. And since 2002, he comes now with the movies. And we are very proud, I mean when we will be old, we will say to our children 'You know, I was living at the same time when Woody Allen's films were coming out. And I think he's one of the greatest auteurs, in both senses, director and really writer dialogue (writer). We are very happy to have him on stage for the opening night," Fremaux said.
Allen's latest opus is one of five Amazon films selected in Cannes, three of them having been picked for the main competition.
For the first time this year, the Cannes film festival is giving in to SVOD giants as Amazon makes a remarkable debut on the Croisette but Netflix was left out of the 69th edition by Fremaux, who said Amazon was good for the business as it injects new money in the industry, while still putting its films to theatre screens before they are streamed.
"The presence of Amazon is not significant (just) for the Cannes Film Festival, it's significant for the whole industry of cinema. I think it's good news, I think it's money, new kind of money, new kind of interest. Having Amazon buying four or five films from the competition here is a very good sign to show how cinema is alive," he said.
Nicolas Winding Refn's 'The Neon Demon', Jim Jarmusch's 'Paterson' and 'Gimme Danger' and Park Chan-wook's 'The Handmaiden' are also Amazon's.
This year, Netflix and Amazon bought a combined total of 12 films at Sundance and the Venice film festival screened Netflix's 'Beasts of No Nation' last year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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