The French talent delegation to Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in New York, which is due to open tomorrow (March 5), has been forced to cancel its trip due to concerns over the coronavirus epidemic.
Prominent French personalities including Juliette Binoche, Chiara Mastroianni and Bruno Dumont had been due to attend the NY event, which runs until March 12. Binoche would have taken part in an in conversation with The Truth co-star Ethan Hawke tomorrow at the Lincoln Center; Hawke will still attend. The event stressed that screenings will continue as planned, with some Q&As taking place remotely over Skype instead of in person.
Daniela Elstner, Director of French body UniFrance which backs the delegation, issued the following statement, “It is a very sad and difficult decision to make. We were so thrilled to come to New York with such a great delegation. We must take recommended precautions seriously, but will be doing video interviews and Q&As from France to ensure New York audiences get the same incredible experience as always. This year’s lineup is indicative of the diverse, incredible work coming out of France, and we will continue to foster artistic exchange between the French and American film industries.”
Films screening at the event this year include works by Alice Winocour, Christoph Honore, Claude Lelouch, Quentin Dupieux, and Rebecca Zlotowski.
France has been one of the European nations worst hit by the outbreak of COVID-19. Today, the country’s government closed more than 100 schools to try and contain the spread. High profile event MipTV, which takes place in the coastal city of Cannes, was also cancelled today.
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