The 78th Cannes Film Festival dropped its highly anticipated Official Selection on April 10, showcasing a dazzling array of cinematic heavyweights and fresh talent vying for the coveted Palme d’Or, per deadline.com. With 19 films in Competition, this year’s Croisette promises a blend of veteran auteurs and bold newcomers, running May 13-24.
Leading the pack is Wes Anderson with his latest whimsical venture, The Phoenician Scheme, alongside Richard Linklater’s Paris-set Nouvelle Vague, a nod to French cinema’s golden era. Horror maestro Ari Aster marks his Competition debut with the buzzed-about A24 project Eddington, while Palme d’Or winner Julia Ducournau (Titane) returns with Alpha. Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value and Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind further elevate the lineup, joined by the Dardenne brothers’ Young Mothers and Jafar Panahi’s In Simple Accident.
The festival kicks off with a historic twist: Leave One Day, a debut feature by French filmmaker Amelie Bonnin, marking the first time a newcomer has opened Cannes. Festival director Thierry Frémaux hailed the choice as a “bold step forward” during Thursday’s press conference. Meanwhile, star power shines bright with Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning set to premiere Out of Competition on May 14, complete with a red-carpet spectacle.
Un Certain Regard spotlights fresh directorial voices, including Scarlett Johansson’s Eleanor the Great and Harris Dickinson’s Urchin. Cannes Premiere features festival favourites like Kirill Serebrennikov’s The Disappearance of Josef Mengele, while Rebecca Zlotowski’s Jodie Foster-led Vie Privée plays Out of Competition. Adding prestige, Robert De Niro will receive an honorary Palme d’Or at the opening ceremony, with Juliette Binoche presiding over the jury.
From Oliver Hermanus’s war drama The History of Sound to Spike Lee’s Out of Competition entry Highest 2 Lowest, the festival balances innovation with Hollywood glitz.
“It’s a distinctly fresh vibe, yet packed with star power,” Frémaux noted, hinting at a lineup poised to spark Oscar buzz.
- The Palais red carpet in Cannes/JB Lacroix/FilmMagic
