The Cannes Film Festival is poised to launch a blockbuster 76th edition on Tuesday stacked with celebrated auteurs and Hollywood star power, confident that it has weathered the Covid pandemic and upheld its status as the guardian of the big screen. In a belated and welcome sign of change, this year’s line-up features more female directors and a sizeable contingent of African entries, while the return of Hollywood silverbacks Harrison Ford (in his final appearance as Indiana Jones) and Martin Scorsese will provide the festival’s marquee premieres.
The world’s glitziest showcase for the movies is oozing confidence once again after Covid forced a no-show in 2020 and a scaled-back summer gathering the next year, fuelling speculation of a fatal blow to a wider industry already upended by the rise of streaming platforms.
