Cannes Film Festival Delegate General Thierry Frémaux has addressed concerns over security at the event’s upcoming 77th edition in May, saying it will be tight but that measures will be under the radar for the most part.
Speaking to local and international media after the Cannes line-up announcement in Paris on Thursday, Frémaux said the festival had been subject to heightened security ever Islamist terror attacks on Paris in 2015, which killed 130 people.
“Since those dark moments of 2015 in France, Cannes is one of the most important cities in terms of security, especially during the festival,” he said.
Security in the Cannes during the festival is overseen by the French government, the regional Alpes-Maritimes Prefecture governing body and Cannes City Hall.
Frémaux was talking the day after France tightened security around Paris Saint-Germain’s Parc des Princes stadium on Wednesday ahead of a Champions League quarter-final match between PSG and Barcelona, following a threat of attacks by the Islamic State.
The country is already on heightened alert ahead of the Olympic games in Paris this July.
“The government and the City of Cannes are really focused… We never stopped since 2015 having a lot of security in Cannes,” said Frémaux.
“Of course, it looks very important because of the Olympics but it will be like last year. We also want people to be happy and free and not to have security everywhere. We have security everywhere but invisible security.”
Frémaux added that Cannes Film Festival President Iris Knobloch and Secretary General François Desrousseaux held meetings every morning to discuss security on a day-to-day basis.
“We take it very seriously,” he said.
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