The only “big” screening left is Mohammad Rasoulof‘s The Seed of the Sacred Fig, which will debut at the Grand Lumiere on Friday, 5.24, at 3 pm.

It was announced earlier this month that Iran’s mullahs had sentenced Rasdoulof to eight years in prison as well as a fine, a flogging and confiscation of his property. Shortly after Rasoulof and “some crew members” escaped from Iran to somewhere in Europe (presumably Paris). Rasoulof is here in Cannes and will attend tomorrow’s premiere screening.

Hollywood Elsewhere will be there with bells on — talk about a big emotional moment.

I’m less certain about attending the Sacred Fig press conference on Saturday, 5.25, at 10:15 am. My return flight to JFK leaves from Nice Airport at 2 pm, requiring arrival no later than noon, so catching the last sensible bus from the Cannes gare (departing at 10:56 am, arriving just before noon) would be a tight situation.

Three films today, all at the Debussy: Celine Sallette‘s Niki at 2 pm, Gael Morel‘s To Live, To Die, To Live Again (an AIDS drama feels a bit out-of-time…Longtime Companion opened a quarter-centry agop) at 7:45 pm, and Payal Kapadia‘s All We Imagine As Light at 10:15 pm. (The Kapadia also screens on Friday morning at 9 am.)

HE is taking a respectful pass on Giles Lellouche‘s Beating Hearts, which screens today at 4:15 pm.