For two weeks every May May, Cannes receives more stars than there is in the sky (or in the old MGM studio). This year, the French Film Festival will be even more glamorous than usual, as a true “who’s who” of Hollywood’s talent goes down to Côte d’Azur to mix with the big names in the international film community.
All signs point to a star year in Cannes, packed with a strong Oscar performance, with filmmakers queue to step on the red carpet and face the sharp criticism of private sleep journalists.
The US delegation at the festival, which starts on Tuesday (13), is numerous. Tom Cruise returns to Cannes three years after “Top Gun: Maverick” with “”, hoping to repeat the successful formula that led “Maverick” to raise $ 1 billion in the box office. No Honorary Gold Palm for Cruise this time; Instead, the award will be delivered to habitué de cannes ROBERT DE NIROone year of the 50th anniversary of the victory of “Taxi Driver” in the Golden Palm. Spike Lee, who was president of the jury in 2021 (not without controversy), also returns with “Highes 2 Lowest”, his rereading “between the sky and hell” (1963), by Akira Kurosawa, starring Denzel Washington as a magnate of the song targeted by a kidnapping scheme.
“Highes 2 Lowest” will be displayed out of the competition, as is the comedy “Honey Don’t!”, By Ethan Coen, successor of “Drive Away Dolls”, the second title of his so -called “Lesbian Film Trilogy”. Whether due to the full agenda or reasons involving screening windows and French legislation (Lee’s film will reach Apple TV+ in September, which probably makes a debut in French theaters), the fact that they are out of the festival’s good health.
But who is in the dispute? The competition for the main prize signals a change of generations. Some veterans continue: Belgium’s Dardenne brothers, twice winners, with “Young Mothers”; the Ukrainian Sergei Loznitsa with “Two Prosecutors”; And Scottish Lynne Ramsay (“We need to talk about Kevin”, “You have never really been here”), whose adaptation of Ariana Harwicz’s novel “Morse, My Love”, features and Robert Pattinson.
Wes Anderson also returns to competition for the fourth time with “The Phoenician Scheme”, featuring known names (Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright) and some charming additions (Riz Ahmed, Mia Threatleton, daughter of Kate Winslet). Join Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Benicio Del Toro, Willem Dafoe and others, and you have the festival’s most starry red carpet.
Joachim Trier, who ascended in Cannes before reaching the Mainstream with the multipremated “The Worst Person in the World” (2021), meets again with actress Renate Reinsve for the long-awaited “Sentimental Value”, also starring Stellan Skarsgård. Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, whose movie “This is not a movie” (2011) was smuggled to the festival in a pen drive hidden inside a cake, returns to the competition with “A Simple Accident”, successor to “No Bears” (2022), winner of the Venice Festival. It also returns to the American Indie Cinema Queen Kelly Reichardt, who has been in Cannes with “Showing Up” and now debuts “The Master”, a time assault drama starring Josh O’Connor, who appears in two films of the competition-the other is “The History of Sound”, directed by South African Hermanus and coastalized by Paul Messal.
Watch: Brazilian film competes for the Golden Palm in Cannes
Hermanus is one of several newcomers in the competition, alongside Spanish Carla Simón, winner of Berlinale in 2022, who debuts “Romería”, and German director Mascar Schilinski with “Sound of Falling”. The latter, previously entitled “The doctor says I’m fine, but I’m feeling blue”, accompanies four generations of women united by trauma, and has generated great expectation for months – even more remarkable given Schilinski’s discreet profile.
Reichardt, Ramsay, Simón and Schilinski are among the seven directors nominated for Palma this year – a third of the total competition, which represents a positive advance in the search for the festival for better gender representativeness. None, however, are following a previous victory like Julia Ducournau. After winning with “Titane” in 2021, she returns with “Alpha”, allegedly a body horror set amid the AIDS epidemic. Already acquired by Neon, the audience can expect another provocative movie.
Speaking of this, Ari Aster (“hereditary”, “Midsommar”) debuts in Cannes with “Eddington”. With a poster that refers to the 1980s AIDS crisis and rumors that takes place during the covid-19 pandemic, the film brings together aster with Joaquin Phoenix of “Beau is afraid”, now playing a Sheriff of New Mexico in confrontation with the mayor lived by Pedro Pascal.
The Golden Palm jury, led by French actress Juliette Binoche and names like Halle Berry and Jeremy Strong (from “Succession”), will watch the 22 films of the competition and announce the winner on May 24.
Subject of the moment
Out of the main competition, actors are taking over. In the UN Category Right Regard, focused on rising filmmakers, Kristen Stewart directs Imogen Poots in “The Chronology of Water,” an adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s memories. “Eleanor the Great” is starring June Squibb, while Harris Dickinson – recently seduced Nicole Kidman in “Babygirl” – writes and directs “Urchin,” set in the streets of London. It also stands out “My Father’s Shadow”, which may be the first Nigerian movie in the official Cannes team.
The festival never hesitated to program movies that address current global events, and Israel-Hamas war will be referred to on screens. The Israeli director Nadav Lapid will bring his social satire to the fortnight of the filmmakers with “Yes!”, Set in the post-attack of October 7. Already Put Your Soul On You Hand and Walk ”, by Iranian Sepideh Farsi, will be shown in the accident section and portrays the war documentary filmmaker Fatima Hassouna. The film gained new relevance after Hassouna, which covered the conflict in Gaza, was killed in an Israeli attack a day after the festival’s program announcement.
Away from the premieres, the busy Cannes movie market will probably discuss whether former President Donald Trump’s proposal will be realized-and if so, how it could be implemented.
The consecration of the awards season
Leaving last -minute political announcements, Cannes comes with confidence to this new edition. The festival watched about 3,000 films to heal its official selection and managed to fit big names until the last moment. Much would need to go wrong so that 2025 does not become a memorable year.
In a low voice, but it is worth saying: the turn was impressive. During much of the 2000s, Cannes waged a “cold war” with the. Cannes competed in disadvantage; Venice accepted productions from generous budget streaming platforms, while Cannes said “non” to their inclusion in the main competition. Venice soon came to be seen as the kick -off of the awards season.
But Cannes won a remarkable victory for Bong Joon Ho, Golden Palm winner in 2019 and best film at the 2020 Oscar – the first non -English language movie to take the gym’s main prize and the first to win the Palma and the Oscar from “Marty” in 1955. The importance of the moment. It was a double victory, repositioning Cannes in the Oscar circuit without compromising its mission.
Since then, Cannes has stood out in the awards (Undoubtedly, helped by the internationalization of the gym). Including “parasite”, four of the last five Palma winners were nominated for the Oscar for best film. The award -winning “Anatomy of a fall” e “The zone of interest“They debuted in Cannes in 2023, as did“ The Substance ”,“ Flow ”and“ Anora ”, which shone in the Oscar and won the double palm of gold and best movie. Cannes never needs the Oscars, but recognition certainly helps.
Despite all the glamor and the guests a-list, the festival’s biggest asset is its ability to discover an unknown jewel and launch a director and his film to the stardom. What will be the highlight of 2025? We don’t know yet – and that’s exactly what makes everything so exciting.
The Cannes Festival takes place from May 13th to 24th.
