Russian delegations are not welcome if the war continues.
The Cannes Film Festival shows its support for Ukraine. aop
The Cannes Film Festival, one of the most important events in the film industry, boycotted Russia over the war in Ukraine.
The event organizer announced this in a press release on their official website:
The Cannes Film Festival will support Ukrainians and everyone in the country in the midst of a severe crisis that has led to war in parts of Europe. Although modest, we join those who oppose this terrible situation and condemn Russia’s leaders.
Ukrainian artists and film professionals in particular are in our thoughts, as are their families, who are now in danger. There are those we have not met and those we have met and welcomed to Cannes, where they have brought works that tell a lot about the history and present of Ukraine.
The Cannes Film Festival has begun preparations during the winter of 2022. If the war does not end in conditions that the Ukrainians are happy with, we will not receive Russian delegations and we will not accept the presence of anyone dealing with the Russian Government.
The film festival will be held in May. The release does not specify whether Russian indie films will also be boycotted. However, the press release states that the organizer will not condemn all Russians:
However, we pay tribute to all those in Russia who have bravely opposed the attack on Ukraine. Among them are artists and film professionals who have always opposed the current regime and cannot be associated with these atrocities and those who are bombing Ukraine.
The Cannes Film Festival has opposed fascist and Nazi dictatorships since 1939, and will continue to support artists and professionals who condemn violence, subjugation and injustice in defense of peace and freedom.
Last year, the film festival screened six films that were wholly or partly in Russian production. One of them was the Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen Cabin No. 6, which was awarded the Grand Prix. The film has several Russian actors and was also shot in Russia.
Several players in the entertainment industry have joined the boycott of Russia. Film giants Disney, Sony, Warner Bros., among others. and Paramount have canceled or suspended the distribution of their films in Russian theaters.
Sources: Hollywood Reporter, Moscow Times