A view of the Palais De Festival prior to the start of the 70th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 15, 2017. The festival runs from May 17 until May 29. (Photo by ARTHUR MOLA / Invision/AP)
CANNES, France — The 70th Cannes Film Festival is opening Wednesday under sunny Cote D’Azur skies, heavy security and widespread unease in the movie industry.
Security was greater than ever at the French festival, with stepped up efforts to restrict access and even an anti-drone system. France remains under a state of emergency since the November 2015 Paris attacks. This is also the first festival held since the nearby Nice attack last year that killed 86 people.
Festival organizers have said everything has been done to maintain a balance of safety and the celebratory atmosphere of the world’s most prestigious film festival.
This year’s festival has its own anxieties. Television, virtual reality and Netflix are a larger presence than ever before in the program.
Arnaud Desplechin’s “Ismael’s Ghosts” will open the festival Wednesday.