The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival opened with charged political discussions as jury members including Park Chan-wook, Demi Moore and screenwriter Paul Laverty used the festival’s first major press conference to address Gaza, censorship, artificial intelligence and the growing climate of fear within the entertainment industry.
The strongest remarks came from Laverty, the longtime collaborator of Ken Loach, who condemned Hollywood for allegedly sidelining actors who have spoken out against the “genocide in Gaza.” Referencing this year’s Cannes poster featuring Thelma & Louise, he pointed to actress Susan Sarandon and said performers opposing “the murder of women and children in Gaza” were being blacklisted inside the industry. “Shame on Hollywood people who do that,” Laverty said, expressing solidarity with Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo.
Jury president Park Chan-wook defended political filmmaking when asked whether activism risked overshadowing cinema. “I don’t think politics and art should be divided,” the Oldboy director said, arguing that films with political ideas should not automatically be treated as propaganda. He also stressed that art without overt political messaging deserved equal consideration.
Park Chan-wook, Jury President of the 79th Cannes Film Festival and Jury members of the 79th Cannes Film Festival Demi Moore, Ruth Negga, Isaach De Bankole and Paul Laverty on stage during the opening ceremony and the screening of the film "La Venus electrique" (The Electric Kiss) Out of competition at the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 12, 2026 | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Moore echoed similar sentiments, warning against self-censorship. “If we start censoring ourselves, then we shut down the very core of our creativity,” she said. Later, discussing artificial intelligence, the The Substance actor acknowledged AI’s growing presence in filmmaking but insisted technology could never replace the human soul behind art.
Laverty also criticised the concentration of AI power among tech billionaires, arguing that society should not allow “right-wing libertarians” to dictate how culture and labour evolve.
This year’s Cannes jury also includes Chloé Zhao, Stellan Skarsgård, Ruth Negga, Laura Wandel, Isaach de Bankolé and Diego Céspedes. The festival opened with Pierre Salvadori’s La Vénus électrique and runs through May 23.
This year’s edition arrives amid a noticeably reduced Hollywood presence, with major U.S. studios largely skipping the Croisette in favour of a more auteur-driven lineup dominated by international cinema and independent productions