The Greatest Showman #1322 - Can't Refuse

Cannes doesn't have the vastness of Berlin, nor the bustling atmosphere of Venice. After half a century of wear and tear on the ancient, dilapidated Film Palace, its twenty-five screening halls, with limited seating, can't meet the market's demands.

But it doesn't stop there. Beyond the main competition unit, there are several other sections like the focus unit, special screenings, and midnight screenings. In just 12 days, more than 50 films will be shown at Cannes. Some will be screened at the Film Palace, while others will be shown at another venue a kilometer away. Still, Cannes, with its palm-sized size, has no more room for additional screening halls.

What's more, except in May, how many town residents would flock to the cinema? This is a town with barely 70,000 people. Therefore, the limitations of the screening venues and the number of people they can accommodate are clear. Cannes is forever different in its scope.

The Lumière Hall, which holds 2,000 spectators, is but a drop in the bucket compared to the global market. In other words, journalists, industry professionals, and the market are the primary audience at Cannes, viewing the festival's finalists for the first time.

More than 4,000 media reporters form the main viewing crowd at the Cannes Film Festival. From traditional media outlets to electronic platforms, magazine editors to social media influencers, the Cannes Film Festival has taken full advantage of the communication power of the internet age.

Despite this, countless crowds still gather in Cannes every May, when early summer arrives.

They flock there to witness the elegance and youth of top stars, to experience the glitzy Vanity Fair, to be in the spotlight up close, and to join the ranks of movie lovers from all over the world. Unlike Toronto, which belongs to audiences, Telluride, which belongs to cinema, and Sundance, which is devoted to art, Cannes exudes its own captivating charm.

Each year, Cannes is nothing short of exhilarating, breathtaking, and dazzling. Its star-studded moments are bathed in a constant surge of spotlight. Applause and cheers fill the air, lasting for the full twelve days, from the splendor of the morning sun to the glow of the setting sun.

This year, though, the buzz is even louder.

When the official organizing committee revealed the jury list, the announcement captured worldwide attention.

Steven Spielberg will serve as the jury chair. The film giant, with more than 30 years of global influence, has never won the top award at the three major European film festivals, but he claimed the Venice Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993 and won Best Screenplay at Cannes in 1974. His legacy and glory are indisputable.

The jury members list is equally star-studded.

Ang Lee, Nicole Kidman, Christoph Waltz, Cristian Mungiu, Lynne Ramsay, Naomi Kawase, Vidya Balan, and Daniel Auteuil all bring their names and talents to the table.

As usual, Cannes' jury composition seeks a balance between art and commerce, with star power as a critical factor.

Ang Lee, of course, needs no introduction. Two Oscars for Best Director, two Golden Lions from Venice, and two Golden Bears from Berlin; Nicole, also an Oscar winner, is no stranger to global acclaim, having earned the Berlin Silver Bear for Best Actress. Christoph Waltz has two Best Supporting Actor Oscars, alongside a Cannes Best Actor trophy.

Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, who won the Palme d'Or for Four Months, Three Weeks, and Two Days in 2007, is another highlight. Lynne Ramsay, a British director known for her three short films and three feature films, including the celebrated We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), is highly regarded.

Naomi Kawase, a Cannes favorite, has made waves with films like Suzaku and The Forest of Logs. Vidya Balan, a renowned Indian actress, represents Indian cinema, with Cannes dedicating a special segment to mark the 100th anniversary of Indian film. French actor Daniel Auteuil is another veteran who has claimed multiple awards, including the César for Best Actor.

With a jury that includes these directors and actors, this year's Cannes Film Festival promises a blend of professional expertise, prestige, and popularity, raising the stakes for the Palme d'Or selection.

The highest awards in the European film festival circuit—the Golden Bear, the Golden Lion, and the Palme d'Or—are a direct reflection of the jury's artistic tastes.

Soon after, the official shortlist for the competition unit was announced, sparking heated debates worldwide.

The list alone is enough to make any film lover's heart race:

Only Love Is Eternal by Jim Jarmusch, The Past by Asghar Farhadi, Only God Can Forgive by Nicolas Winding Refn, Straw Shield by Takashi Miike, Roman Polanski's Venus in Furs, Jia Zhangke's Destined, François Ozon's Beautiful Moon, Hirokazu Kore-eda's Like Father, Like Son, Steven Soderbergh's Behind the Candelabra, and Alexander Payne's Nebraska, among others.

This is just a glimpse of the main competition lineup.

Other units also showcase highly anticipated works: Sofia Coppola's Bejeweled, Alain Guiraudie's Stranger at the Lake, James Franco's As I Die, Guillaume Gallienne's Boys and Guillaume, and Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby.

It's a heavyweight lineup, not just in the main competition but across all units. The media frenzy is undeniable. With all these works gathered in one place, how could anyone not be thrilled?

Adding to the excitement, this year's Cannes Film Festival paid tribute to Paul Newman.

The official poster features the late actor, alongside his widow Joanne Woodward, recalling the iconic upside-down kiss they shared in their 1963 film New Love/Book. The tribute serves as a homage to Paul Newman, who passed away in 2008, and celebrates the enduring love between the two, who remained inseparable for decades.

Though Paul had a previous marriage and two daughters, his relationship with Joanne was long-lasting. Their marriage, free from scandals and gossip, was admired both in Hollywood and beyond. They were the model couple for generations of fans.

In the film industry, Paul and Joanne were a golden duo. In 1958, their film Long Hot Summer was shortlisted for Cannes, with Paul winning Best Actor, shortly before the couple wed. In 1973, Paul directed Young Phoenix, which also earned a spot in the Cannes competition, while Joanne's performance earned her praise.

This year, Cannes hosts a special session to honor Paul Newman's legacy, with Joanne attending the event as well. The film festival, already a major event, is now shrouded in even more attention.

Hollywood stars also make a bold entrance, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling, and Renly Hall leading the charge. Even James Franco, Tom Hiddleston, and Matt Damon step aside. With such star power, Cannes is bound to capture the world's attention.

This year, the Cannes Film Festival has set a new record, attracting over 480,000 attendees, surpassing the previous records held by the festival and the other major European film festivals. By May, the heat of summer has already swept over the town.

As Renly boarded the train, he could already feel the energy building as he approached the festival.

Instead of flying directly to Cannes from London, Renly chose to take the Eurostar train through the Channel Tunnel, arriving in Paris. He spent three days in the city, enjoying a performance by the Russian Ballet Theatre and visiting a restored painting by Paul Cézanne. Afterward, he continued southward to Cannes.

Though it might seem like a long journey from north to south across France, the train ride is only six hours. Renly savored the view of the landscape, deliberately taking it slow as time ticked away. As he neared Cannes, the train station's outline appeared on the horizon.

More than two-thirds of the carriages were filled with passengers, a rarity in Europe. The travelers began preparing to disembark.

Renly noticed a young man sitting across from him, likely in his early twenties, probably from China. Before Renly fell asleep, the young man had been watching Lars von Trier's Melancholia on his laptop—preparing for the Cannes Film Festival, perhaps. Now, his screen was filled with Avengers.

It takes courage to watch Melancholia in the noisy, chaotic environment of a train.

A faint smile curved Renly's lips.