The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is gearing up to be a spectacular showcase of cinematic talent, with a lineup featuring some of the most anticipated films of the year. At a press conference held in Paris on Thursday, April 10, 2025, festival director Thierry Frémaux and president Iris Knobloch unveiled the official selection, which includes notable entries from renowned filmmakers such as Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, and Ari Aster.
This year, the competition features 19 films, highlighting the diversity and creativity of global cinema. Among the standout titles is Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme, which stars Benicio Del Toro, and Richard Linklater's Nouvelle Vague, a film that pays homage to the French New Wave and stars Guillaume Marbeck and Zoey Deutch. Ari Aster's Eddington, a Western set during a pandemic featuring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, and Emma Stone, is also expected to draw significant attention.
Returning to Cannes is Kelly Reichardt with her film The Mastermind, an art-heist drama featuring Josh O'Connor and John Magaro, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Norwegian director Joachim Trier, fresh off his 2021 triumph with The Worst Person of the World, will present Sentimental Value, which stars Renate Reinsve. Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi is back in competition with his latest drama, A Simple Accident.
Also making waves in the competition are the Dardenne Brothers, who return with The Young Mother’s Home, a slice of Belgian social realism. South African director Oliver Hermanus will make his competition debut with The History of Sound, a World War I gay romantic road movie featuring Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor. French filmmaker Dominik Moll will present Dossier 137, a crime drama that adds to this year's impressive lineup.
Julia Ducournau, who won the Palme d’Or in 2021 for her provocative film Titane, returns with Alpha, set in the 1980s and centered on an 11-year-old girl whose classmates ostracize her after a rumor spreads that she has contracted a new disease. Meanwhile, Spike Lee's film Highest 2 Lowest, starring Denzel Washington, will premiere out of competition on May 19, 2025, adding to the festival's star power.
The festival confirmed on April 8, 2025, that Tom Cruise will return to Cannes for the world premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which is set to have an out-of-competition screening ahead of its global release on May 23, 2025. This announcement has already generated buzz, with fans eagerly anticipating Cruise's appearance.
Frémaux noted that the selection process was particularly competitive this year, with the festival screening an unprecedented 2,909 features. This reflects Cannes' ongoing commitment to showcasing the best in global cinema. The festival reaffirmed its status as the world’s premier film festival in 2024, with selections that garnered a total of 31 Oscar nominations and nine wins, including five Oscars for Sean Baker’s Anora, the 2024 Palme d’Or winner.
Among the out-of-competition highlights this year are Jodie Foster's film Vie Privée, directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, and the music documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender, directed by Andrew Dominik, which explores the life of the U2 frontman. The festival will also feature Amrum, the latest from German director Fatih Akin, starring Diane Kruger, and Sebastián Lelio’s Spanish-language feminist musical The Wave.
Cannes' Un Certain Regard sidebar will showcase several directorial debuts, including Eleanor the Great, Scarlett Johansson’s first film as a director, which stars June Squibb. Harris Dickinson's Urchin, a British drama about a homeless man in London, and My Father’s Shadow, a highly anticipated debut from British-Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies, will also be featured.
Another directorial debut, the French drama Partir un Jour from first-time filmmaker Amélie Bonnin, will open this year’s festival, screening out of competition. The festival jury will be led by French star and Oscar winner Juliette Binoche, who will preside over the selection of this year’s Palme d’Or winners. Additionally, Robert De Niro is set to receive an honorary Palme d’Or for lifetime achievement during the opening ceremony.
The festival will run from May 13 to May 24, 2025, and promises to be a vibrant celebration of cinema, showcasing both established filmmakers and emerging talents. With a lineup that includes a mix of genres and styles, Cannes 2025 is poised to make a significant impact on the film landscape and potentially influence the awards season ahead.
As the excitement builds, cinephiles around the world are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to experience this year's Cannes Film Festival, where the magic of cinema comes alive on the Croisette.
