The official selection of films for the 78th Cannes Film Festival has been announced. One of the most prestigious cinematic events in the world, the festival will take place from May 13 to 24 in the French Riviera town of Cannes. The announcement was made on Thursday, April 10, at a press conference in Paris by festival president Iris Knobloch and general delegate Thierry Frémaux.
This year, 22 films have been selected for the festival’s main competition. The lineup features both established auteurs and exciting new voices making their directorial debuts. Among the selected titles are Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, Ari Aster’s Eddington, the Dardenne brothers’ Jeune Mère, Julia Ducournau’s Alpha, Chie Hayakawa’s Renoir, Oliver Hermanus’ The History of Sound, Hafsia Herzi’s La Petite Dernière, Oliver Laxe’s Sirat, Richard Linklater’s New Wave, and Sergei Loznitsa’s Two Prosecutors. Other notable selections include Fuori by Mario Martone, O Secreto Agente by Kleber Mendonça Filho, Dossier 137 by Dominik Moll, Un Simple Incident by Jafar Panahi, The Mastermind by Kelly Reichardt, Eagles of the Republic by Tarik Saleh, Sound of Falling by Mascha Schilinski, Romería by Carla Simón, and Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier.
The “Un Certain Regard” section, known for highlighting innovative and alternative cinema, features a diverse international lineup. Selected films include La Misteriosa Mirada del Flamenco by Diego Céspedes, Météores by Hubert Charuel, My Father’s Shadow by Akinola Davies Jr., L’Inconnue de la Grande Arche by Stéphane Demoustier, Archin by Harris Dickinson, Homebound by Neeraj Ghaywan, Toi Yamanamino Hikari by Ishikawa Kei, Eleanor the Great by Scarlett Johansson, Caravan by Zuzana Kirchnerová, Pillion by Harry Lighton, Aisha Can’t Fly Away by Morad Mostafa, Once Upon a Time in Gaza by Arab and Tarzan Nasser, The Plague by Charlie Polinger, Promised Sky by Erige Sehiri, Le Città di Pianura by Francesco Sossai, and Testa o Croce? by Matteo Zoppis and Alessio Rigo de Righi.
Outside the competition, several major titles are also set to screen. These include Colors of Time by Cédric Klapisch, La Femme la Plus Riche du Monde by Thierry Klifa, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning by Christopher McQuarrie, and Vie Privée by Rebecca Zlotowski.
The Midnight Screenings section will present Dalloyau by Yann Gozlan, Exit 8 by Kawamura Genki, and Feng Lin Hu Shan by Mac Juno.
In the Cannes Premiere category, notable entries include Amrum by Fatih Akin, Splitsville by Michael Angelo Covino and Sebastián Lelio, Connemara by Alex Lutz, Orwell: 2+2=5 by Raoul Peck, and Das Verschwinden by Kirill Serebrennikov.
Special Screenings will feature Stories of Surrender by Bono, Tell Her That I Love Her by Romain Bohringer, and A Magnificent Life by Sylvain Chomet.
The opening film of the festival, screening out of competition, will be Partir un Jour by Amélie Bonnin, marking her directorial debut.
The festival will also honor legendary actor, director, and producer Robert De Niro with the Honorary Palme d’Or on its opening day. On the second day, Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise is expected to appear at the Grand Théâtre Lumière for the screening of his new film Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
This year’s Cannes Film Festival promises to be a vibrant celebration of cinematic diversity, global storytelling, and groundbreaking new talent.