Covid-19 Outbreak: Cannes Film Festival Postponed

The Cannes Film Festival which is scheduled to be heldin May has been postponed due to the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, saidthe organizers of the annual event in southern France.

Several new dates were under consideration, includingthe end of June, the organizers said in a statement. The film festival, one ofthe largest in the world, was due to take place from May 12-23.

The postponement follows weeks of speculation over whether the festival, which draws thousands of filmmakers, celebrities, and executives to the French city, would be able to go ahead.

France is in its third day of a lockdown aimed atcontaining the spread of the Covid-19.

The statement further reads, "At this time of globalhealth crisis, our thoughts go to the victims of the Covid-19 and we expressour solidarity with all those who are fighting the deadly disease."

It further stated that the Festival de Cannes cannotbe held on the scheduled dates from May 12-23. Several options are consideredin order to preserve its running, the main one being a simple postponement, inCannes, until the end of June-beginning of July.

However, the festival was the latest event in the entertainment industry to be postponed or canceled, including the release of big-budget movies including Mulan and No Time to Die as well as music festivals Glastonbury and Coachella and the closure of theatres in London and on Broadway.