Cannes Draws 40,000 Attendees from 140 Countries as Film Market Brings 16,000
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 13
Cannes Draws 40,000 Attendees from 140 Countries as Film Market Brings 16,000
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 13
About 40,000 accredited guests from 140 countries are descending on Cannes this week, underscoring the festival’s scale as it opens on the French Riviera.
Another 16,000 participants are attending the Marché du Film, where thousands of films and projects are being bought and sold alongside the screenings.
The 11-day event runs as three overlapping worlds—critics, dealmakers and red-carpet stars—packed into the Palais des Festivals and the Croisette.
Founded after delegates walked out of Venice in 1938 over political interference, Cannes was conceived as a festival of the “free world” and still frames itself as a cultural act of resistance.
With Hollywood studios absent, is Cannes reclaiming its artistic soul or losing its global influence in the modern film market?
How does Cannes balance its legacy of political resistance with the persistent gender imbalance in its main competition?
Can Cannes genuinely defend artists from AI while being sponsored by tech giant and major AI investor Meta?