VOLCANO THREATENS CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano was threatening to turn Cannes into “can’t” on Sunday as new eruptions sent clouds of ash into the atmosphere causing some airlines to curtail or call off hundreds of flights in the vicinity. About 20 flights into Nice, the nearest airport, were canceled on Sunday and some flights were simply delayed. But continued disruptions (and eruptions) later in the week could play havoc with the Cannes Film Festival’s tight schedule of press conferences, photo shoots, red-carpet appearances, and late-night parties. As the Los Angeles Times observed, “Canceled flights could mean that participants in the world’s largest film festival would arrive days late, or scrap their plans altogether, leading to a potential dearth of media and stars in a festival typically littered with them.” The festival officially opens on Wednesday with a screening of Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood, preceded by the usual red-carpet ceremonies attended by hundreds of fans seeking to get a glimpse of the movie’s stars, Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. “Everyone wants to get an invitation to Cannes,” the city’s deputy mayor, David Lisnard, told the French wire service Agence France-Presse. “Even the ash cloud.”