Power Outage Disrupts Cannes Film Festival in Suspected Sabotage Incident

The Cannes Film Festival faced major disruptions due to a power cut believed to be caused by sabotage. Multiple areas lost electricity, impacting local businesses and festival screenings, but organizers ensured the closing ceremony would proceed using backup power.

A major power disruption in Cannes, France, believed to be linked to sabotage, significantly affected the last day of the renowned Cannes Film Festival. Early Saturday morning, approximately 160,000 households in Cannes and nearby regions experienced a sudden electricity outage, with power being restored by the afternoon.

Authorities reported that the incident began with an arson attack on an electricity substation in the village of Tanneron, which supplies power to Cannes. In a coordinated effort, culprits later targeted an electricity pylon near Villeneuve-Loubet, further exacerbating the blackout at around 10:00 AM local time.

The power failure grounded local commerce to a halt, forcing many restaurants and shops to close. "After another hour, I’ll have to dispose of everything," lamented Laurent Aboukrat, owner of the Jamin restaurant in Cannes, highlighting the woes faced by business owners trying to operate without electricity.

The situation prompted distress among patrons, with Australian producer Darren Vukasinovic describing Cannes as descending into a state of "total slowdown and meltdown," as the town grappled with coffee shortages and empty bakeries.

Throughout the morning, the film festival's screenings were disrupted. However, resilient organizers quickly shifted to private generators to keep events running. Despite the turmoil, the iconic festival’s closing ceremony intends to proceed as scheduled, wherein French actress Juliette Binoche and her jury will disclose the much-anticipated winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or award.