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The upcoming Cannes Film Festival is set to showcase a variety of new films from renowned directors, as organizers revealed at a press conference held in Paris on Thursday.
Wes Anderson will return to the Cannes stage with his latest offering, “The Phoenician Scheme,” which recently had audiences intrigued with a puzzling trailer released at CinemaCon. Richard Linklater will also make his mark, presenting “Nouvelle Vague,” a bold exploration of Jean-Luc Godard’s legacy and the production of “Breathless” in the 1960s. The Dardenne brothers are slated to premiere “Young Mothers,” which could potentially position them as the first filmmakers to secure the Palme d’Or three times.
In addition to established filmmakers, the festival will host several actors making their directorial debuts. Scarlett Johansson is set to present “Eleanor the Great,” featuring Joan Squibb in a prominent role, while Harris Dickinson, who starred in the Palme d’Or-winning film “The Triangle of Sadness,” will showcase his directorial project titled “Urchin.”
The festival lineup will also include “Stories of Surrender,” a unique film from U2 frontman Bono, highlighting the diverse range of voices participating this year.
However, some anticipated titles have not made the cut for the festival. Notable absentees include Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest,” Jim Jarmusch’s “Father Mother Sister Brother,” and Lynne Ramsay’s “Die, My Love.”
In previous announcements, it was revealed that Christopher McQuarrie’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” will screen out of competition, marking Tom Cruise’s second appearance at Cannes in three years. His last appearance was linked to the success of “Top Gun: Maverick,” which drew significant attention during its presentation in 2022.
This announcement comes after last year’s festival unveiled a 2024 lineup that featured films including “Emilia Pérez,” “The Substance,” “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “The Apprentice,” and “Anora.” The latter went on to achieve a remarkable feat: being the third film in seven decades to win both the Palme d’Or and the Oscar for Best Picture. Notably, two of the last five years have seen similar crossovers in accolades, reflecting a shift in the Academy’s preferences towards films showcased at Cannes.
According to festival director Thierry Frémaux, this year’s selection was a result of an extensive review process of 2,909 submissions, a record number for the event, showcasing the growing interest in Cannes from filmmakers around the globe.
Looking forward, the 2025 Cannes Film Festival is scheduled to take place from May 13 to May 24 in the picturesque South of France. Celebrated actor Robert De Niro is set to receive the Honorary Palme d’Or during the festival’s opening, while acclaimed French actress Juliette Binoche has been appointed as the jury president.
Here is a partial list of the announced titles for this year’s festival:
MAIN COMPETITION
“Sentimental Value,” Joachim Trier
“The Mastermind,” Kelly Reichardt
“Dossier 137,” Dominik Moll
“The Secret Agent,” Kleber Mendonca Filho
“Fuori,” Mario Martone
“Two Prosecutors,” Sergei Loznitsa
“Nouvelle Vague,” Richard Linklater
“The History of Sound,” Oliver Hermanus
“Alpha,” Julia Ducournau
“Young Mothers,” Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
“Eddington,” Ari Aster
“After,” Oliver Laxe
“The Eagles of the Republic,” Tarik Saleh
“In Simple Accident,” Jafar Panahi
“The Phoenician Scheme,” Wes Anderson
“Renoir,” Chie Hayakawa
“Romeria,” Carla Simon
“The Sound of Failing,” Mascha Schilinski
“The Youngest Daughter,” Hafsia Herzi
CANNES PREMIERE
“Amrum,” Fatih Akin
“Splitsville”
“The Disappearance of Joseph Mengele,” Kirill Serebrennikov
“The Wave,” Sebastian Lelio
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
“Stories of Surrender,” Bono
“The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol,” Sylvain Chomet
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”
“The Richest Woman in the World,” Thierry Klifa
“Songs of the Neon Night”
“The Coming of the Future”
UN CERTAIN REGARD
“The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo,” Diego Céspedes
“My Father’s Shadow,” Akinola Davies Jr.
“Urchin,” Harris Dickinson
“A Pale View of Hills,” Kei Ishikawa
“Eleanor the Great,” Scarlett Johansson
“Caravan”
“Pillion,” Harry Lighton
“Aisha Can’t Fly Away,” Murad Mustafa
“Once Upon a Time in Gaza,” Tarzan Nasser
Source
www.thewrap.com