Cannes Film Festival postponed due to COVID-19

FILE PHOTO: The official poster for the "Cannes 2020 Special" event is seen in front the closed Carlton Hotel on the Croisette in Cannes, France, October 27, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo

The 2021 edition of the Cannes Film Festival will be postponed until July because of the coronavirus pandemic, organisers said on Wednesday.

Last year's event was cancelled and replaced by a low-key event in October showcasing short films but without the A-list movie stars, directors and producers.

The festival will take place from July 6-17, the organisers said in a statement, two months later than planned.

FILE PHOTO: A woman wearing a protective face mask walks her dog past a Palme d'Or symbol on the pavement near the Festival palace on the Croisette in Cannes where the Cannes Film Festival and the Cannes Lions take place, as a lockdown is imposed to slow the rate of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in France, March 18, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo

Hollywood superstars normally flock to the Mediterranean town's "Croisette" promenade for the two-week extravaganza, the world's biggest cinema showcase and a major market for the industry.

The palm-fringed town has been a subdued version of its normally glamorous self since the coronavirus outbreak. Many of its swankiest hotels are closed, as are its restaurants and bars.

FILE PHOTO: A view shows the Cannes Festival palace during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Cannes, France, May 4, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Janet Lawrence)