Cannes, the global Colosseum of film, readies for 78th edition with new challenges on the horizon

By Jake Coyle

Nowhere is the border-crossing nature of cinema more evident than the Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off Tuesday in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s vow to enact tariffs on international films.

Cannes, where filmmakers, sales agents and journalists gather from around the world, is the Olympics of the big screen, with its own golden prize, the Palme d’Or, to give out at the end.

Filmmakers come from nearly every corner of the globe to showcase their films while dealmakers work through the night to sell finished films or packaged productions to various territories.

“You release a film into that Colosseum-like situation,” says Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho, who’s returning to Cannes with “The Secret Agent,” a thriller set during Brazil’s dictatorship.

“You’ve got to really prepare for the whole experience because it’s quite intense — not very far from the feeling of approaching a roller coaster as