Cannes Film Festival Opens Up to Increased Security
The Cannes Film Festival kicks off on Wednesday to increased security measures amid heightened security threat overseas.
An anti-drone system, restricted airspace above the Cannes airport and upgraded firearms for police are part of a tightened security protocol that will be enforced throughout the Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off Wednesday, May 17.
The day before the festival, local authorities unveiled their security measures. The beefed-up security plan includes an anti-drone system that was previously used in Paris and deploying police around the area with upgraded, new 9mm semi-automatic handguns with 17 rounds apiece.
Other initiatives include imposing a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft above the small Cannes airport and the nearby Hotel du Cap. Last year, a publicity stunt terrified guests when a group of men in military gear arrived at the luxury hotel.
Officials say the city has been split into four different zones. Access has been restricted around the Palais, where celebrities walk the red carpet before screenings. Drivers of celebrities must ask for daily permits to enter the restricted zone and must have the entire car screened before driving to the red carpet.
Barriers protect the perimeter of the Croisette and the surrounding streets in light of last summer’s devastating attack in Nice where 85 people were killed by a man who drove a cargo truck through crowds on Bastille Day. Large concrete planters have been installed along the sidewalks to protect against this kind of attack.
The tightened security comes as threats of terror attacks are at an all-time high overseas. There have been at least three mass casualty attacks in the last year and half in public locations, and Cannes security officials wish to keep the festival area as protected as possible especially when celebrities make the target on the show even bigger.