Thierry Frémaux never strolls into a room. Rather, the Director of the Cannes Film Festival, seems to bound into the room, usually a packed auditorium at the Palais des Festivals, as if running behind schedule, delayed by whatever previously scheduled rendezvous he has just departed. Such was the case the day before the 78th Cannes Film Festival was set to begin, when Frémaux made a swift entrance into a press conference and promptly commenced his annual tradition of answering questions from a few hundred international journalists.

As the head of what is arguably one of the world’s most important film festivals, Frémaux tends to be peppered with inquiries ranging from non sequiturs about press screening schedules to semi-controversial topics about tariffs on international films. Along the way there are always the usual questions about why highly anticipated films from certain A-list directors weren’t programmed and when Netflix might be invited back to participate in the festival.

Frémaux’s responses to such questions can often demonstrate his depth of cinematic knowledge. They can, at times, be humorous and at others, incredibly direct. For instance, when asked about the small number of South Korean titles appearing at the 78th edition of the festival, he acknowledged that this year there are fewer Korean films, partly because Park Chan-wook’s latest film was not ready. Frémaux said, “Park Chan-wook’s film was not ready. If it had been ready and in competition, you wouldn’t have asked this question.”

Square that with what Frémaux said when asked about the opening night film “Partir Un Jour” (“Leave One Day”), directed by Amélie Bonnin. “It’s true there have been very few opening films directed by women,” he confessed. “This year, however, we’re opening with a first film, a musical comedy directed by a woman, which is a first for us. The film is short too, so we’ll have dinner earlier!”

One of the main criteria for selecting an opening night movie for the Cannes Film Festival is that it must be able to be released in theatres on the same day. For over a decade, the festival has had a tradition in which the opening film is projected in hundreds of theaters in France. This makes it difficult for Hollywood studio titles such as “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” which is playing in Cannes on 14 May, to be programmed as the opening night film, since they usually open theatrically weeks or months later.

Naturally, Frémaux was asked about the idea of placing tariffs on foreign produced films which was recently suggested by United States President Donald Trump. For most media outlets his answer was used as the lede, though he sidestepped the question by saying, “I can’t talk about these custom duties, it’s too early in the game.”

Frémaux realizes that such a tariff scheme would naturally lead to reciprocal moves by countries throughout the world. “The idea that American cinema could be penalized by foreign countries is, I think, an idea that can be discussed,” he said. “There is one thing we have noticed, particularly in the months and years following COVID in 2021 and 2022, which is that there were fewer American films around the world, so local productions have been more successful.”

According to Frémaux, the US is still the greatest cinema country in the world and he would want to tell policymakers “that countries are strong through their people’s culture, and in cinema, beyond industrial and economic questions, there’s a way of working that allows foreign films to come to the United States because they nourish the American imagination and culture.”

This year’s festival promises a particularly robust American film selection, and despite any political tensions Frémaux expressed enthusiasm for Hollywood’s creative potential. “The United States remains a great cinema country,” he declared, “and I come from a generation for whom loving cinema meant loving American cinema.”

What to Expect from This Year’s Cannes
The lineup includes first-time films from notable actors like Scarlett Johansson and Kristen Stewart, alongside works from established directors like Wes Anderson and Spike Lee. “Even when questions are being raised about American cinema – about the actors’ strike, about screenwriters, about potential slowdowns in studio blockbuster production – the American film program is rich this year,” Frémaux explained. “I would say here at the Cannes Film Festival, we wouldn’t want the American cinema to cease to be strong, that’s what really counts.”

Of course, Cannes is a festival that celebrates movies from all over the world, and Frémaux spoke passionately about supporting filmmakers who take risks to create their films. This is particularly true for those from Iran and other regions currently experiencing political tension. He highlighted Iranian filmmakers who continue to make films despite significant personal risks, such as Jafar Panahi, whose “Un Simple Accident” (“It Was Just An Accident”) appears in competition this year and Mohammad Rasoulof, who fled Iran last year in order to avoid being sent to prison for making “The Seed and the Sacred Fig,” which premiered in Cannes in 2024.

Frémaux emphasized that the Cannes Film Festival supports these filmmakers not out of political motivation, but because of the artistic quality of their work. He noted that the festival is “political when the artists are political.” The key is supporting artists who use their work to explore important social and political realities. “Filmmakers take risks to make films,” he added. “They know that the most important thing is not their safety, but making a film.”

When it came to the question about streaming platforms, especially Netflix, Frémaux said he appreciates the many services he subscribes to and that they are of value to cineastes. “As for Netflix and other platforms, our position remains the same,” he stated. “Films in competition must be released in French cinemas. If platforms like Netflix wish to participate in competition, they need to respect this rule. Otherwise, they are welcome outside of competition.”

This rule has caused Netflix to eschew Cannes for years now, because any movie playing in a cinema in France must wait at least 18 months before appearing on a streaming service.  “Netflix produces outstanding work, and we maintain a good relationship with them,” said Frémaux. “But the big screen experience remains at the heart of what we do at Cannes.”

That hasn’t stopped Netflix from acquiring movies during past Cannes Film Festivals. Last year they picked up director Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” which went on to be nominated for 13 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It would lose out to Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which also won the Palme d’Or at Cannes last year. Indeed, eight films from the 2024 Cannes lineup wound up at the Oscars this year, with four of them winning a record nine awards. 

These kinds of post-festival accolades have provided Cannes with an even higher worldwide profile. It doesn’t hurt when filmmakers – like Sean Baker – begin their Oscar acceptance speech with “It started in Cannes.”

Frémaux is well aware of the role Cannes can play in successfully launching a movie and its filmmakers. “If the films from Cannes have success, it’s also thanks to you, thanks to the press,” he said. “Thanks to this kind of planetary communication about the films that we discover here and which from that point on lights a beautiful creative fire everywhere.”

“Often these adventures start at Cannes,” he continued. “They can start at other festivals, but Cannes is often considered a festival that’s a bit apart, especially because it’s in the spring when Oscar films usually arrive in autumn.”

According to Frémaux however, whether the lineup he and his team have programmed for the 78th Cannes Film Festival will prove to be as successful as last year’s won’t be determined by who wins the Palme d’Or or an Oscar. Instead, Frémaux revealed a philosophical approach to film selection that has defined his tenure: “Often with films, the best judgment is time.”