Cannes Film Festival 2025: What to Look For?

The 78th prestigious Cannes Film Festival is going to be held from 13th May to 24th May, 2025. The city of Cannes, Franc has become a film paradise for the next 12 days. Film enthusiasts and stars from every corner of the world are heading to the heading to the French Riviera.

They are going to narrate a shiny showcase of global cinemas, starry premiers, and discover masterclass cinemas. The arrangement of 2025 is promised to introduce with the honored auteurs, getting to know new voices, and powerful narratives and they can change the definition of cinematic landscape for the upcoming years.

Dazzling Premiers and Palme d’Or contestants

Almost 22 films will be exhibited to determine the winners of the most prestigious Palme d’Or. The drastic competition shows a way of new works to established and celebrated directors.

The list of the most probable films and director-

The Phoenician Scheme by Wes Anderson

Nouvelle Vague by Richard Linklater. It is a tribute to the cinematic movement. The movie also an opening part of the festival.

Die My Love by Lynne Ramsay.

Eddington by Ari Aster. The lead actor is Joaquin Phoenix and it is a comedy movie.

Alpha by Julia Ducournau. It is a fictional film and plot of the film is New York in the decade of 1980s, based on AIDS crisis.

A Simple Accident (listed as ‘It Was Just an Accident’) by Iranian Auteur Jafar Panahi.

The History of Sound by Oliver Harmanus. It is a periodic love story starring with Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal.

The Mastermind by Kelly Reichardt.

Centimental Value by Joachim Trier.

Renoir by Chie Hayakawa. It is a semi-autobiography.

Resurrection by Bi Gan.

Romeria by Carla Simon.

The Secret Agent by Kleber Mendonca.

Two Prosecuters by Sergei Loznitsa.

Fuori by Mario Marton (Italy).

There are also some new movies such as- Sound of Falling (Mascha Schilinski), Eagles of the Republic (Tarik Saleh), Case 137 (Dominik Moll), The Little Sister (Hafsia Herzi), Woman and Child (Saeed Roustayi), The Young Mother’s Home (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne).

Besides the main competition, there are some other attractive segments

High profile screening of megastars and debutante directors:

Christopher MaQuarrie is bringing Mission Impossible- The Final Reckoning. We all know that the Mission Impossible series is blessed by Tom Cruise who gives the series blockbuster spectacles. The premier of this film will be out of the main event.

Highest 2 Lowest is also an out of competition movie. It is a come back movie of Spike Lee.

There is an UN Certain Regard Section that is going to feature some debutante director’s movies. The notable thing is- some established actors are making a kick start as directors like Kristen Stuart- film-The Chronology of Water, Scarlette Johansson- film-Eleanor the great, Harris Dickinson- film-Urchin, Neeraj Ghaywan- film- Home bound.

Some popular director’s movie will showcase in Cannes like Fatih Akin- film- Amrum, Kirill Serebrennikov- film- The Disappearance Of Joseph Mengele, Lav Diaz- film- Magellan.

Some midnight thrillers will also let you know the presence like Honey Don’t! by Ethan Coen.

Some special screenings will be featured here. A documentary film like Bono: Stories of Surrender by Andrew Dominik and The Six Million Dollar Man features on Julian Assange.

Showing honor to the legends and selection guiding:

In 2025, the living legend Robert De Niro will be honored by a special Palme d’Or as an acknowledgement of his iconic and illustrious career. Another megastar Leonardo DiCaprio will handover the honorarium to Niro at the opening ceremony. Also, the Woman in Motion award will be presented to Nicole Kidman on 18th May.

The jury board is esteemed and led by the French actress Julliette Binoche. The other members of the distinguished panel are Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong, and Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia. Payal’s own film All We Imagine As Light is the winner of Grand Prix at the 2024 festival.

Themes and trends of the festival:

Some flows are shaping the Cannes festival in 2025.

Geopolitical issues: The festival is getting started by saluting to Ukraine with 3 films including documentaries like Notre Guerre by Bernard Henry Lavy and 2000 Meters to Andrivka by Mstyslav Chennov. He is an Oscar winner director.

The jury board also consider the sectarian Iranian film directors. They also consider the film Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk which is features on Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna. This film will be premiered in parallel acid section.

Two in one- both actors and directors: A good numbers of actors are giving efforts as directors. It is a growing trend among actors.

Focused documentaries: Non-fictional cinemas are also anticipated besides Ukraine-focused or Bono documentaries.

A gateway to win awards: Cannes film festival always is a launchpad for winning several awards including Oscars. The film industries worldwide watch keenly to discover the future stars of the industry.

The history-shaking factor of the industry: Not only present-time films, Cannes festival also celebrates the past of the film industry like Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Gold Rush.’

The global representation with a priority of the Indian film industry:

Not only for the western film industry, Cannes festival is a label playing field for global cinema. I have mentioned before that Indian directors are having attention of the jury board like Payal Kapadia and Neeraj Ghaywan. There are other international co-productions like My Father’s Shadow (Un Certain regard) by Akinola Davis Jr. It is a Nigerian production that is selected officially as an exemplary milestone.

As soon as the 78th Cannes film festival begins, the audiences will enjoy a vigorous and colorful program. Not only that this festival is going to be glamorous, and like a fairy tale. The prestigious Palme D’Or is going be awarded on the ending day of the event- 24th May. So, keep an eye for the updates as the festival goes ahead.