The 70th film festival begins with France on high alert against terrorism, but a full cast of A-list stars are still expected for their moment in the Riviera sun

The Cannes film festival began its 70th edition today with the usual sense of high glamour, but also heightened security.

At a time when France remains under an elevated threat level following a series of terrorist incidents, local authorities have elected to ramp up security around the festival to unprecedented levels. Among the measures introduced are an increase in armed police and military personnel and a state of the art anti-drone system.

Officials have been particularly concerned by the potential for an incident resembling the Bastille Day attack in nearby Nice last year, in which a lorry ploughed into a crowd congregating on the city’s promenade, killing 86 people. To prevent a similar attack during the festival, access to Cannes’s busy Croisette has been restricted to accredited vehicles and a series of concrete barriers have been erected along the promenade. In keeping with the sense of style associated with the festival, the barriers take the aesthetically pleasing form of large flowerpots.



Facebook Twitter Pinterest French police patrol are briefed outside the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters

Meanwhile, the number of officials patrolling the city centre has been increased. Local police have been permitted to carry handguns for the first time and a squad of 500 civilian volunteers have been assembled to report on any suspected threats. Daily meetings between local, regional and national police organisations have been scheduled to analyse the security situation and identify any potential weak points in their set-up.

As one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, Cannes has long been considered a prime target for terrorist event. Last year, in the wake of the 2015 Paris attacks, a series of additional safety measures were introduced to much fanfare. However, organisers were left humiliated on the festival’s first weekend when a boatload of men in military gear carried out a fake terrorist attack at the luxury Hotel Du Cap as part of a publicity stunt. That incident has led to a perimeter being enforced this year in the waters around the city’s Palm Beach, while a no-fly zone has been introduced for private aircraft around the city’s airport.

If the increased threat of terrorism has cast a shadow over Cannes, it certainly wasn’t evident on the festival’s opening day. The Croisette was filled with the usual assortment of industry professionals, television crews and curious tourists, and the armed military personnel who were present on the promenade were largely unobtrusive.

Nor does the heightened security seem to have deterred the usual roster of A-listers from attending the festival. Some of the stars set to make appearances this year include Nicole Kidman, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. Among those appearing on the festival jury meanwhile are Will Smith, Jessica Chastain and jury president Pedro Almodóvar.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest French actors Elsa Zylberstein, left, and Frédérique Bel arrive for the 70th festival’s opening film premiere, Ismael’s Ghosts. Photograph: Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA

Ismael's Ghosts review – even Marion Cotillard can't save this silly, self-indulgent ragbag Read more

At a surprisingly testy opening jury press conference, Almodóvar and Smith disagreed over the presence of two Netflix films, The Meyerowitz Stories and Okja, in the festival’s official selection, with Almodóvar reading out a statement criticising their selection and Smith defending the decision to include them. Netflix has been the recipient of criticism among French film industry figures over its unwillingness to release its films in cinemas, prompting festival organisers to ban any films without French theatrical releases from next year’s festival onwards.

Opening this year’s festival was Ismael’s Ghosts, a drama from Cannes veteran Arnaud Desplechin. The film has been greeted by near-universal disdain by critics, with the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw describing it as “a twirl of pure-time wasting silliness” and Variety critic Peter Debruge comparing it to famously maligned cult movie The Room.

The Cannes festival continues until 28 May.