Overview
- Festival organizers initially omitted the customary opening jury press conference from the program, a move first reported on Sunday that industry observers called highly unusual.
- The festival told Deadline the omission was due to a “Terminkonflikt” and denied the decision was made for political reasons.
- Hours later the festival reversed course and confirmed to dpa that the jury press conference will now take place, with the session re‑scheduled for 12:00 ahead of the opening.
- Observers linked the back-and-forth to the sensitive lineup this year, which includes jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal, jury member Kaouther Ben Hania, and the competition film Naza about the Gaza war.
- The episode follows earlier festival flashpoints—notably the Berlinale debate in February and questions at Venice in 2025—and raises the prospect that major festivals may change how they handle public Q&A to limit politicized exchanges.