As COVID-19 continues to rapidly change the way we live, and the majority of the events we look forward to all year have been postponed or canceled through the summer, it’s no surprise that the Cannes Film Festival has been forced to cancel their already postponed event for late June. After the event (scheduled for mid-May) was postponed a few weeks ago, it quickly became clear that looking forward to the event may have been a bit optimistic.

A statement released by the French government lifted some confinement measures in May, but is still banning all large events through mid-summer, forcing the event to go virtual. Though many other events have done so and seemed to make it work, festival director Thierry Frémaux told Variety that turning it into a virtual event just “wouldn’t work.” Does this mean another possible postponement? 

Still, dedicated to showcasing the films set to debut, the festival is working tirelessly to find a way to best present these filmmakers’ works. In a press release sent out by the organization yesterday, they said: “The Festival de Cannes, an essential pillar for the film industry, must explore all contingencies allowing to support the year of Cinema by making Cannes 2020 real, in a way or another.”

While maybe a pipe dream to believe that Cannes could be held in its original form, staying optimistic is key. The festival is dedicated to finding new and creative ways to keep the spirit alive, and will somehow find a way to make it happen.