Stars Shine as Cannes Film Festival Opens Without Hollywood Support
Celebrities from Demi Moore to "The Lord of the Rings" star Elijah Wood made their way down the red carpet for the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday. The event highlighted two major themes: the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and the noticeable absence of Hollywood studios.
The annual film festival on the French Riviera kicked off with a star-studded ceremony led by American cinema veteran Jane Fonda and Chinese star Gong Li. Attendees included actors like "Black Panther" star Isaach De Bankole and "Spider-Man" actor James Franco, showcasing the global appeal of the event.
Fonda, known for her activism against U.S. President Donald Trump and her long-standing advocacy for anti-war and women's rights causes, delivered a powerful message during the opening. She urged the film industry to create works that serve as "an act of resistance."
"We tell the stories... that bring empathy to the marginalised, stories that allow us to feel across difference, stories that let us see that there is an alternative future that is possible," she said.
Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, was reunited with director Peter Jackson on stage. Jackson received an honorary Palme d'Or award for his legendary career. He humorously accepted the honor, calling it a "stunning surprise, miraculous... I am not a Palme d'Or sort of guy."
Off-Screen Events
The main Cannes competition, which begins on Wednesday, features 22 films vying for the prestigious Palme d'Or prize for best film. Last year’s winner was the Iranian film "It Was Just an Accident" by Jafar Panahi. This year’s lineup includes historical dramas exploring the impact of authoritarianism and fascism, as well as works from renowned arthouse directors such as Spain’s Pedro Almodovar, Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Romania’s Cristian Mungiu.
As is often the case before the festival, off-screen events have dominated discussions. These include concerns about AI’s effect on jobs, Hollywood’s decision to avoid the event, and the underrepresentation of women directors.
Paul Laverty, an Irish-Scottish screenwriter and member of the Palme d'Or jury, criticized Hollywood in a press conference just hours before the opening. He pointed to stars like Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem, and Mark Ruffalo, who have been blacklisted for opposing Israel’s war in Gaza.
"Shame on Hollywood, people who do that," he said. Activists have long urged European festivals to condemn the conflict, but these calls have largely gone unanswered.
AI Fears
Cannes director Thierry Fremaux expressed strong opposition to AI and its growing impact on the film industry, where job losses are becoming increasingly common.
"What is certain... is that here in Cannes, we stand with the artists, we stand with the screenwriters and we stand with everyone in these professions, with actors and voice actors alike," he told reporters.
Despite this stance, the festival announced a multi-year sponsorship deal with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and an investor in AI technology. This has sparked controversy, particularly regarding the latest film from Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh. The documentary "John Lennon: The Last Interview" features AI-generated video of late Beatles songwriter John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono.
'Come Back'
Soderbergh is one of the few high-profile Hollywood directors attending the festival this year. Others, such as Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan, were notably absent. The world’s largest film festival typically relies on Hollywood to provide mass-market entertainment alongside its arthouse offerings. However, no major U.S. studio launched a blockbuster this year or at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, raising questions about why giants like Universal, Disney, or Warner are avoiding European events.
"I really hope that the studios come back," Fremaux said, attributing their absence to scheduling issues and industry turmoil. He emphasized that American cinema was still well represented, with films like "Paper Tiger" by James Gray starring Adam Driver and "The Man I Love" by Ira Sachs featuring Rami Malek in the main competition.
