Cannes Film Festival 2022: final preparations under way

Stars, including Eva Longoria, have begun to arrive in French town for 75th anniversary of globally renowned event

A view of the 75th Cannes Film Festival set-up shows a giant canvas of the official poster featuring actor Jim Carrey in the film 'The Truman Show', on the facade of the Festival Palace on the eve of the opening ceremony. Reuters

Workers set up the official poster. EPA

American actress Eva Longoria runs on the Croisette promenade on the eve of the opening ceremony on Monday. Reuters

A general view shows the International Village near the Festival Palace and the bay of Cannes as preparations continue. Reuters

The film festival runs from May 17 to 28 in Cannes, France.

People look at the beach as they sit on the Croisette promenade before the start of the event. Reuters

A general view shows the Palais des Festivals. The event promises to be back in full swing after two years of disruption owing to Covid-19. Reuters

People look at the view of the Palais des Festivals (Festival Palace) and the Port of Cannes. Reuters

A worker stands on a ladder next to the official poster of the 75th Cannes Film Festival. Reuters

A view of a palm tree behind a giant canvas of the official poster. EPA

Someone takes a snap of preparations. Getty Images

The last touches were being laid in Cannes on Monday for the 75th anniversary of the world's leading film festival, promising a return to its full glitz.

Dangling from ropes above the fabled Palais des Festivals, workers were unfurling the huge poster for the Cannes Film Festival's golden jubilee, which this year features an image from The Truman Show.

Celebrities, including American actress Eva Longoria, could already be spotted in the resort town on the French Riviera.

Some 35,000 film professionals are expected between Tuesday and Saturday, May 28, hoping for a return to form for cinema's most glamorous event after two years in which Covid dampened the mood.

"We are ready. The town hall has just redone everything — the whole place — so we hope it will go well," said Jeremie Tripet, manager of L'Avenue, a bistro just off the main drag known as La Croisette.

After Cannes was entirely cancelled in 2020 and held under strict health protocols in 2021, most of the world is expected to be represented at this year's event, which includes a large industry marketplace alongside the festival.

Scroll through the gallery below to see Cannes Film Festival 2021's opening ceremony:

One major exception is the absence of Russians, owing to the impact of sanctions over the war in Ukraine and a ruling from the organisers that state-linked delegates are not welcome.

China is also expected to have a limited presence owing to its continuing Covid restrictions.

But otherwise, the festival organisers are keen to put the pandemic in the past, with no mandatory masks or health passes this year — and no restrictions to partying.

Hollywood returns

The easing of pandemic restrictions also means Hollywood will be back in full force at Cannes.

The much-delayed blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick has its European premiere on Wednesday, with Tom Cruise appearing on the Croisette for the first time in 30 years.

One of the first stars to walk the red carpet will be Forest Whitaker — the Oscar-winning star of The Last King of Scotland, Godfather of Harlem and much more — who is picking up the honorary Palme d'Or award at the opening ceremony on Tuesday.

Then film fans can enjoy the usual feast of new releases and competition entries, braving the festival's famously opinionated crowds, who are never shy about cheering and booing during screenings.

There is a lot of excitement around the Elvis Presley biopic from Australia's Baz Luhrmann, hoping to recreate the buzz he generated when he brought the can-can to Cannes with Moulin Rouge! 20 years ago.

Elvis, playing out of competition, features newcomer Austin Butler stepping into The King's blue suede shoes. Tom Hanks plays his infamous manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

There are 21 films in the race for the Palme d'Or, including the latest body-horror fable from David Cronenberg, Crimes of the Future, starring Lea Seydoux and Kristen Stewart.

The Canadian director told IndieWire it is likely to cause walkouts "within the first five minutes".

There are only five women directors in the competition, hoping to follow the success of last year's winner, Titane, which made Julie Ducournau only the second woman to win the Palme.

Ukraine spotlight

The war in Ukraine will be an inevitable talking point.

The final film by Lithuanian director Mantas Kvedaravicius, who was killed by Russian forces in Ukraine last month, will have a special screening.

He was shooting a follow-up to his celebrated documentary Mariupolis, about the conflict in Ukraine's Donbas region, when he was reportedly captured and killed.

Ukraine's beleaguered filmmakers will have a special day at the industry marketplace and one of its most promising directors, Sergei Loznitsa, will show The Natural History of Destruction, about the bombing of German cities in the Second World War.

The main competition also includes exiled Russian Kirill Serebrennikov, who was unable to attend for his two previous nominations due to a politically charged conviction for embezzlement back home.