Cannes Film Festival has released a statement in response to the war in Ukraine saying it will not accept “Russian delegations” this year. Scroll down to read it in full.
At present, the French festival is not joining the boycott of Russian cinema, which was called for by the Ukrainian Film Academy and earlier today was backed by the European Film Academy when it said the org would not accept Russian films into the European Film Awards this year.
In a statement, Cannes expressed solidarity with Ukraine and said it would “not welcome official Russian delegations nor accept the presence of anyone linked to the Russian government” at the fest this year. This could change if “the war of assault ends in conditions that will satisfy the Ukrainian people”.
It also saluted “the courage of all those in Russia who have taken risks to protest against the assault and invasion of Ukraine”, including artists and filmmakers “who have never ceased to fight against the contemporary regime.”
Yesterday, Glasgow Film Festival pulled two Russian titles from its program this month, while Stockholm said it would not screen any Russian state-funded movies this year unless the situation improves. Locarno, on the other hand, said it would not join a boycott.
There have been mixed opinions regarding the potential boycott, with some, like Cannes today, pointing to the efforts of many Russian filmmakers over the years to denounce their government’s actions.
Here’s Cannes’ statement:
As the world has been hit by a heavy crisis in which a part of Europe finds itself in a state of war, the Festival de Cannes wishes to extend all its support to the people of Ukraine and all those who are in its territory.
However modest as it is, we join our voices with those who oppose this unacceptable situation and denounce the attitude of Russia and its leaders.
Our thoughts go out in particular to the Ukrainian artists and film industry professionals, as well as their families whose lives are now in danger. There are those whom we’ve never met, and those whom we’ve come to know and welcomed to Cannes, who came with works that say much about Ukraine’s history and the present.
During this winter of 2022, the Festival de Cannes has entered its preparation phase. Unless the war of assault ends in conditions that will satisfy the Ukrainian people, it has been decided that we will not welcome official Russian delegations nor accept the presence of anyone linked to the Russian government.
However, we would like to salute the courage of all those in Russia who have taken risks to protest against the assault and invasion of Ukraine. Among them are artists and film professionals who have never ceased to fight against the contemporary regime, who cannot be associated with these unbearable actions, and those who are bombing Ukraine.
Loyal to its history that started in 1939 in resistance to the fascist and Nazi dictatorship, the Festival de Cannes will always serve artists and industry professionals that raise their voices to denounce violence, repression, and injustices, for the main purpose to defend peace and liberty.
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