Variety: Hollywood shuns Cannes 79th

Variety reported on May 16 that the 79th Cannes Film Festival had a thinner U.S. studio footprint than in many recent years, with major Hollywood companies and Netflix less visible on the Croisette. The festival opened on May 12 and runs through May 23 in Cannes, France, according to Festival de Cannes. The official lineup announced on April 9 leaned heavily toward international auteurs, with films from Pedro Almodóvar, Asghar Farhadi, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Cristian Mungiu and Ira Sachs in competition or across the main sections. ### Which Hollywood players were missing? Variety said on May 16 that the most noticeable absence was the lack of major U.S. studio premieres and the reduced presence of Netflix, which in past years has been a frequent Cannes flashpoint and a visible buyer and host on the ground. A separate Variety preview published on May 11 said summer studio titles including Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day,” Alejandro G. (variety.com) Iñárritu’s “Digger” and David Fincher’s “Cliff Booth” were not headed to the Côte d’Azur. The Cannes lineup itself reflected that gap. Festival de Cannes listed one U.S. director, Ira Sachs, in the main competition, while the broader official selection included American independent titles rather than a run of studio-backed tentpoles. The Hollywood Reporter wrote on April 9 that Sachs was the only U.S. director in competition. (variety.com) ### What did Cannes say about the lighter studio presence? Thierry Frémaux, the festival’s general delegate, addressed the issue before the festival opened. Deadline reported on May 11 that Frémaux said he hoped “the studio films will come back,” after being asked about Hollywood’s lack of commitment this year. Variety also reported in March that Frémaux had been discussing Hollywood cutbacks and the festival’s effort to define its role in 2026. (festival-cannes.com) Iris Knobloch, the festival’s president and a former Warner Bros. executive, disputed the idea of a broad American retreat. Variety reported on May 13 that Knobloch said there were “almost as many American films as usual” and pointed to 11 U.S. titles in the official selection. Her argument was that Cannes remained a launchpad for American independent cinema even without a heavy studio slate. (deadline.com) ### Why did studios stay away this year? Variety’s May 11 preview gave two main reasons. Some big U.S. films were not finished in time for Cannes, and some studios did not want to spend heavily promoting movies that were still months from release and could face a hostile critical reception in France. (variety.com) John Sloss, founder of Cinetic Media, gave Variety a calendar-based explanation. “Cannes is the premiere showcase of the year for foreign language film,” Sloss said, adding that the festival has “always been challenging for American awards-related films because of where it falls in the calendar,” according to Variety’s May 11 report. (variety.com) ### Did the festival still have American movies? The April 9 official selection included James Gray’s “Paper Tiger” in competition, Ira Sachs’ “The Man I Love” in competition and Jane Schoenbrun’s “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” in Un Certain Regard. Festival de Cannes also listed Andy Garcia’s “Diamond” in Out of Competition. Those entries underscored Knobloch’s point that U.S. films were present, even if the balance had shifted toward independents and international auteurs. (variety.com) The broader competition remained international. Festival de Cannes said the 79th edition’s official selection was updated on April 23 and included 21 competition titles at that stage, with filmmakers from Europe, Asia and the Americas represented across the main sections. (festival-cannes.com) ### What still happens at Cannes when studios skip premieres? Variety reported on May 11 that studio executives were still expected in southern France to buy finished films and development packages for 2026 and 2027 release slates. Cannes operates as both a festival and a market, and Variety said buyers were looking at projects ranging from action titles to prestige dramas. (festival-cannes.com) The festival calendar remains intact. Festival de Cannes said screenings for the 79th edition run from May 12 to May 23, and the organization announced in February that Park Chan-wook would preside over the competition jury. On May 23, Park and his jury are scheduled to award the 2026 Palme d’Or on the stage of the Grand Théâtre Lumière. (festival-cannes.com) (variety.com)