The 78th iteration of the Cannes Film Festival is set to deliver yet another spectacular showcase of cinema, merging contributions from established masters, fresh talents, and thrilling debut presentations. At a press briefing held in Paris, organizers Thierry Frémaux and Iris Knobloch revealed that this year’s lineup features an array of compelling genres including grandiose war dramas, intricate romantic tales, empowering female-centric musicals, and unsettling bodily horror thrillers.
Featuring stars like Tom Cruise and directed by filmmakers such as Spike Lee, along with an impressive jury led by Juliette Binoche, the Cannes Festival 2025 promises daring narratives and international expertise. Discover what awaits on the Croisette this year.
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Out of Competition Highlights
● Mission: Impossible – Fallout – Christopher McQuarrie
● Tallest to Shortest – Spike Lee
● Private Life – Rebecca Zlotowski
● Departure one day – Amélie Bonnin (Opening film)
● The Wealthiest Woman Globally – Thierry Klifa
In Competition: Oscar-Winning Contenders
● The Phoenician Plan – Wes Anderson
● Eddington – Ari Aster
● New Wave – Richard Linklater
● The Architect – Kelly Reichardt
● Emotional Significance – Joachim Trier
● Alpha – Julia Ducournau
● File 137 – Dominik Moll
● The Evolution of Sound – Oliver Hermanus
● An Ordinary Incident – Jafar Panahi
● Young Mothers –Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
● The Eagles of the Republic – Tarik Saleh
● Outside – Mario Martone
● La Petite Dernière – Hafsia Herzi
● Renoir – Chie Hayakawa
● Romería – Carla Simone
● The Secret Agent – Kleber Mendonça Filho
● Sirat – Oliver Laxe
● Echoes of Descent – Mascha Schilinski
● Two Prosecutors – Sergei Loznitsa
Special Screenings and Tributes
● Bono: Tales of Surrender – Andrew Dominik
● The Extraordinary Existence of Marcel Pagnol – Sylvain Chomet
● Tell Her I Love Her – Romane Bohringer
● Honorary Palme d'Or – Robert De Niro
Midnight Screenings
● Songs of the Neon Night – Juno Mak
● Exit 8 – Kawamura Genki
● Dalloway – Yann Gozlan
Un Certain Regard Selections
● Eleanor the Great – Scarlett Johansson
● Urchin – Harris Dickinson
● My Father’s Shadow – Akinola Davies Jr.
● Homebound – Neeraj Ghaywan
● Aisha Can't Escape – Morad Mostafa
● Heads or Tails? – Alessio Rigo de Righi, Matteo Zoppis
● Karavan – Zuzana Kirchnerová
● The Unknown Man of La Grande Arche – Stéphane Demoustier
● The Final Touch for the Journey – Francesco Sossai
● Meteors – Hubert Charuel
● The Enigmatic Stare of the Flamingo – Diego Céspedes
● One Day in Gaza – Tarzan Nasser and Arab Nasser
● A Distant Look at the Mountains – Kei Ishikawa
● Passenger Seat Rider – Harry Lighton
● The Plague – Charlie Polinger
● Promised Sky – Erige Sehiri
Cannes Premiere Selections
● The Vanishing of Josef Mengele – Kirill Serebrennikov
● Amrum – Fatih Akın
● Connemara – Alex Lutz
● Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 – Raoul Peck
● Splitsville – Michaelangelo Covino
● The Wave – Sebastián Lelio
Featuring a vibrant blend of seasoned directors, innovative emerging talents, and highly anticipated debuts, the 78th Cannes Film Festival is set to dazzle audiences as a remarkable showcase of cinema. With Wes Anderson crafting his whimsical universes and Julia Ducournau conjuring spine-chilling narratives, along with Tom Cruise making an eagerly awaited comeback, this festival boasts a roster teeming with international creativity and ambitious stories. As the famous red carpet stretches across the Croisette, film enthusiasts worldwide will be tuning in intently, anticipating unexpected moments, thunderous applause, and possibly witnessing the emergence of another future Palme d'Or winner.
Prachi Mehta