24.05.2025 15:41
Hours before the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival, a power outage across the city raised concerns. However, the festival management announced that the Palais des Festivals would switch to an independent power source and that the event would proceed smoothly.
In Cannes, a city on the southern coast of France, a large-scale power outage today caused panic just before the final day of the 77th Cannes Film Festival. However, festival officials stated that they hope the closing ceremony will proceed smoothly as the Palais des Festivals building switched to an independent power source.
The outage began at 10:15 AM. Just as the press conference for the competition film "The Mastermind" by Kelly Reichardt was ongoing, electricity suddenly went out across the city. According to the first report from Screen International, some screenings in cinemas were interrupted, and films were halted. The J.W. Marriott Hotel on the Croisette also experienced frequent power cuts and restorations. There were communication disruptions at the hotel where festival participants sought refuge for internet access.
A festival representative told Variety, "There is a serious outage occurring in Cannes and its surroundings. The cause of the outage has not yet been determined, but repair work is ongoing." The statement also shared that the Palais des Festivals switched to an independent energy system, allowing screenings and events, including the closing ceremony, to continue under normal conditions. However, it was noted that screenings at the Cineum cinema located outside the city have been temporarily halted.
THE FESTIVAL CLOSES THIS EVENING The closing ceremony of the festival will begin on Saturday, May 25, at 18:40 (CET). This year, the jury is chaired by French actress Juliette Binoche. The jury also includes names such as Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong, Payal Kapadia, Hong Sansoo, Alba Rohrwacher, Leïla Slimani, Dieudo Hamadi, and Carlos Reygadas. Along with the ceremony, prestigious awards of the festival, such as the Palme d'Or, best actor, and best director awards, will be presented.