The Cannes Film Festival was nearing its end on Saturday, and promised to overcome a massive blackout to hand out prizes at VIP-studded ceremonies, AFP reported.
The drama that directs Ukraine on struggling Iranian films and tyranny about political prisoners is one of the forefront after two weeks of red carpet and politically charged statements.
French actor Juliet Binoche and her ju umpire have announced the winners of 22 films competing for Palme de Or Best Film, enveloping the politically charged 78th Cannes Film Festival and delivering strong candidates for the top award, but there are no complete favourites ahead of Saturday’s closing ceremony.
Rumors rang out around the Riviera Resort on Saturday morning, with a possible winner, but the traffic wasn’t.
The blackout knocked out traffic lights, causing massive groans, and power supplies were temporarily cut off at the film festival headquarters.
Organizers said they have switched to an alternative supply that “will allow them to maintain events and screenings planned today under normal conditions, including the closing ceremony.”
The cause of the outage has not been announced, but police sources told AFP it was caused by a fire, perhaps an arson attack, on a nearby current substation.
MA/PR