Cannes Opening: Jury on Blacklists, AI, and Politics

The Cannes Festival traditionally serves as a platform for discussing pressing issues that concern filmmakers. This time, three critically important topics that shape the future of the industry came into focus.

The problem of artificial intelligence in cinema is sparking heated debate among professionals. The jury acknowledged that the technology opens new creative possibilities, but simultaneously poses a threat to employment for traditional specialists — from screenwriters to visual effects artists. Jury members emphasized the need to develop ethical standards for AI use in production.

Equally pressing are questions of political censorship and blacklists, which, according to the jury, still exist in certain countries and affect the ability of directors and actors to realize their projects. This directly concerns Russian professionals who face obstacles when participating in international film projects.

For the Russian film industry, such dialogue at Cannes is particularly significant, as it demonstrates the international community as a defender of creative freedom and an opponent of any form of censorship.