CANNES, France (AP) 鈥� The opened Tuesday with politics, artificial intelligence and the shifting priorities of Hollywood taking center stage at the film gathering on the French Riviera.
The festival launched with a tribute to director Peter Jackson, handing the 鈥淟ord of the Rings鈥� filmmaker an honorary Palme d鈥橭r. He was introduced by actor Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in Jackson’s fantasy franchise, one of many notable faces on the Cannes red carpet, including Bong Joon Ho, Joan Collins, Heidi Klum and James Franco.
鈥淚’ve never figured out why I’m getting a Palme d’Or. I’m not a Palme d’Or sorta guy,鈥� said the shaggy haired New Zealand filmmaker.
Jackson was then serenaded with a rendition of the song 鈥淕et Back,鈥� a nod to his about The Beatles. The director sat stage right mouthing the lyrics.
Jane Fonda and Gong Li officially opened the festival, with Fonda declaring: 鈥淐inema has always been an act of resistance.鈥�
It was a fitting observation for a film festival that has already seen politics take center stage. At the introduction of the jury that will decide the Palme d鈥橭r, Cannes鈥� top honor, jury members spoke bluntly about holding a film festival during a time of geopolitical conflict.
The Palme d’Or jury weighs politics in film
Paul Laverty, the Scottish screenwriter known for his films with director Ken Loach, pointed toward this year’s Cannes poster, of 鈥淭helma and Louise,鈥� while discussing attending Cannes during what he called 鈥済enocide in Gaza.鈥� Quoting 鈥淜ing Lear,鈥� he said: 鈥淢admen lead the blind.鈥�
鈥淐annes has a wonderful poster,鈥� said Laverty. 鈥淚sn鈥檛 it fascinating to see some of them like Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo blacklisted because of their views in opposing the murder of women and children in Gaza? Shame on Hollywood people who do that.鈥�
The nine-member jury is being presided over by , the South Korean filmmaker of 鈥淥ldboy鈥� and 鈥淣o Other Choice,鈥� who said that politics and cinema go hand in hand.
鈥淎rt and politics are not concepts that are in conflict with each other,鈥� said Park. 鈥淥ne cannot disqualify a film on the pretext that it has a political message. Just as one cannot reject a film because it would not be political enough.鈥�
Other jury members include Chlo茅 Zhao, Stellan Skarsg氓rd, Ruth Negga and Demi Moore, who two years ago was celebrated in Cannes
Moore spoke about a topic that’s already dominated conversation at this year’s festival.
鈥淎I is here, and so to fight it is to, in a sense, to fight something that is a battle that we will lose,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o to find ways in which we can work with it, I think, is a more valuable path,鈥� she said. 鈥淎re we doing enough to protect ourselves? I don鈥檛 know. My inclination would be to say probably not.鈥�
Hollywood takes a hiatus
What isn鈥檛 at Cannes has been as buzzed about as much as what is. Hollywood is .
While recent blockbusters like 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥� and 鈥淓lvis鈥� have touched down at previous incarnations, studio films this year have been either scared away by the possibility of a rocky reception or by the high cost of flying in A-listers to the Cote d鈥橝zur. The closest thing in Cannes’ slate is an anniversary celebration for 鈥淔ast & Furious.鈥�
Cannes artistic director Thierry Fr茅maux said Hollywood 鈥渋s reshaping鈥� in the midst of .
鈥淚 hope the studio films will come back,鈥� Fr茅maux told reporters on Monday.
Oscar season starts early
Cannes has become better known for its lengthy standing ovations than its boos.
This year, a long list of big-name filmmakers will have center stage. Among the are Pedro Almodovar (鈥淏itter Christmas鈥�), James Gray (鈥淧aper Tiger鈥�), Na Hong-jin (鈥淗ope鈥�), Pawel Pawlikowski (鈥淔atherland鈥�) and Ryusuke Hamaguchi (鈥淎ll of a Sudden鈥�).
If Cannes has waned as a global launchpad for studio releases, it has grown as a breeding ground for Oscar contenders.
Two years ago, won the Palme before . Last year, Cannes selections like 鈥淪entimental Value,鈥� 鈥淭he Secret Agent鈥� and 鈥淚t Was Just an Accident鈥� went on to play prominent roles in awards season.
More often than not, the specialty distributor Neon has been at the forefront of the Cannes-to-Oscars pipeline. Neon has backed , an unprecedented streak that it may be poised to extend. The company is attached to more than a quarter of the 22 films in competition for the Palme d鈥橭r.
While Cannes may be light on big Hollywood movies, it isn鈥檛 lacking in stars. Set to appear over the next two weeks are Kristen Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Adam Driver, Javier Bardem, Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Rami Malek, Sebastian Stan, Sandra H眉ller and many others.
How much any of this will serve as backdrop for 鈥淭he White Lotus鈥� remains to be seen. The fourth season of Mike White鈥檚 acclaimed HBO series is based around a trip to Cannes. Last month, the show began shooting on the French Riviera.
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