Widespread French power outage shuts down Cannes Festival theater, closing ceremony expected to continue
A suspicious fire hit the city of Cannes with a widespread loss of power Saturday morning — just hours ahead of the film festival's closing ceremony.
Several movies were wiped from the schedule, but the majority of the iconic event, including the final bash, will not be affected because organizers swiftly found an alternative power source.
'A power outage is currently affecting the city of Cannes and surrounding areas,' the festival said in a statement shared with The Post.
'The Palais des Festivals has switched to an independent power supply, allowing all scheduled events and screenings, including the Closing Ceremony, to proceed as planned and under normal conditions.
'However, screenings at the Cineum have been temporarily suspended and will resume as soon as power is restored.'
What caused the widespread outrage has not been identified, but police suspect arson.
'We are looking into the likelihood of a fire being started deliberately,' said a spokesperson for the French national gendarmerie.
No arrests have been made.
The power was cut across much of the Alpes-Maritimes region in southern France, including Cannes.
The power went out shortly after 10 a.m., including in festival theaters that were in the midst of screening films.
Internet was also down across the city, with the outage reportedly reaching as far as 6 miles outside of Cannes.
It is not clear how long the Cineum Imax theater at the festival will remain affected — 17 films were slated to be screened at the venue today, including two movies starring Josh O'Conner, 'The Mastermind' and 'The History of Sound,' the latter also starring Paul Mescal.
Organizers expect to dole out the coveted Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) for best film, along with other awards like the Grand Prix and Jury Prize, during the closing ceremony.
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