Cannes 2025: The Official Selection

Cannes Film Festival 2025: The Official Selection and Must-See Films

Once again this year, the magic of the big screen takes over the Croisette with a rich, bold, and more international selection than ever. In a buzzing auditorium at UGC Montparnasse filled with cinephiles from all backgrounds, the official selection of the 78th Festival de Cannes was unveiled.

Here’s a look back at the highlights of the Thursday, April 10 press conference and the speeches from the Festival’s two key figures.

 

Iris Knobloch and Thierry Frémaux

 

Iris Knobloch’s Speech, Festival President

“For nearly 80 years, the Cannes Film Festival has engaged with the world. In a time of growing isolationism, this message of openness is essential. Cannes champions openness to others, to difference, to the new: this is the DNA of the Festival.”

She highlighted the Festival’s major cultural and media role, with 39,000 accredited professionals, 4,200 journalists, and a film market that gathers 15,000 participants from 140 countries. In 2024, selected films (Anora, Emilia Perez, Flow, The Substance) found international acclaim, from the César Awards to the Oscars. In France, they drew 25 million cinema-goers.

She emphasized the Festival’s commitment to social issues, particularly in response to the recommendations from the cultural sector violence inquiry.

“Women are being heard. They no longer wait for their place—they take it.”

After Greta Gerwig, Juliette Binoche will preside over the 2025 jury—a globally recognized actress who embodies reinvention and traverses film cultures from Poland to Iran, Japan to the US. Cannes will also pay tribute to Robert De Niro with an honorary Palme d’Or.

Iris Knobloch concluded by thanking the Festival’s team, its partners, the city of Cannes, and saluted the resilience of artists, especially in the US, amid recent strikes.

 

 

 

Thierry Frémaux’s Speech, General Delegate

Frémaux began by emphasizing the Festival’s link to movie theatres—“another invention of the Lumière brothers.” The seats at UGC Montparnasse came from UGC Normandie. He shared the record-breaking number of submissions this year: 2,909 feature films, 32% directed by women, and 1,127 first-time features.

He paid tribute to late film figures such as Emily Dequenne, Marisa Paredes, Carlos Diegues, and David Lynch, dedicating this 78th edition to Dequenne.

With warmth and cinephile wit, Frémaux revealed the films selected across each section, peppered with personal anecdotes and insights. From big stars like Scarlett Johansson, Jodie Foster, Joaquin Phoenix, and Benicio del Toro to newcomers from Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Chile, and the Czech Republic.

Frémaux concluded by reaffirming the Festival’s mission: “to celebrate creativity, boldness, and the humanistic values that cinema carries.” The 2025 edition promises to be rich, intense, and globally inclusive.

 

An Unprecedented and Bold Opening

For the first time in the Festival’s history, a debut feature will open the event: Partir un jour by Amélie Bonnin. A contemporary musical that, according to Frémaux, echoes Alain Resnais’ Same Old Song. A strong signal in favor of emerging filmmakers.

 

 

OFFICIAL SELECTION – CANNES 2025

 

OPENING FILM:

Partir un jour – Amélie BONNIN (Debut film, Out of Competition)

As Cécile prepares to fulfill her dream of opening her own gourmet restaurant, she returns to her childhood village after her father’s heart attack. Far from the hustle of Paris, she reconnects with her first love. Memories surface and her certainties begin to waver…

 OFFICIAL COMPETITION:

• Un simple accident – Jafar PANAHI
• Sentimental Value – Joachim TRIER
• Romería – Carla SIMON
• Sound of Falling – Mascha SCHILINSKI
• Les aigles de la République – Tarik SALEH
• The Mastermind – Kelly REICHARDT
• Dossier 137 – Dominik MOLL
• L’agent secret (O Secreto Agente) – Kleber MENDONÇA FILHO
• Fiori (Fuori) – Mario MARTONE
• Deux procureurs – Sergei LOZNITSA
• Nouvelle vague – Richard LINKLATER
• Sirat – Oliver LAXE
• La petite dernière – Hafsia HERZI
• The History of Sound – Oliver HERMANUS
• Renoir – Chie HAYAKAWA
• Alpha – Julia DUCOURNAU
• Jeunes mères – Jean-Pierre & Luc DARDENNE
• Eddington – Ari ASTER
• The Phoenician Scheme – Wes ANDERSON
• Die my love – Lynn Ramsay
• Womand and child – Saeed Roustae
• Sound of falling – Macha SCHILINSK

 

UN CERTAIN REGARD: Youth, Vision, and Discovery

ABOUT THE JURY

British director, screenwriter, and cinematographer Molly Manning Walker will be the President of the Un Certain Regard Jury at the 78th Cannes Film Festival.

She will be joined by Franco-Swiss director and screenwriter Louise Courvoisier, Croatian director of the International Film Festival Rotterdam Vanja Kaludjercic, Italian filmmaker, producer, and screenwriter Roberto Minervini, and Argentine actor Nahuel Pérez Biscayart. Together, they will be tasked with awarding the prizes in this section, which celebrates emerging, auteur-driven, and discovery-oriented cinema.

Twenty films have been selected this year, including nine debut features. In 2024, Black Dog by Guan Hu won the Un Certain Regard Prize, awarded by the jury presided over by Xavier Dolan.

The section will open on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, with Promis le ciel, directed by Tunisian filmmaker Erige Sehiri.

 

A vibrant showcase for emerging global cinema. Notable debuts include films from Nigeria (My Father’s Shadow), Egypt (Aisha Can’t Fly Away), Chile (La misteriosa mirada del flamenco), Japan (The Pale View of Hills), the Czech Republic (Karavan), and Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut Eleanor the Great.

 

• PROMIS LE CIEL – Erige Sehirı : opening film

• LA MISTERIOSA MIRADA DEL FLAMENCO (The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo) – Diego Céspedes

• MÉTÉORS – Hubert Charuel

• MY FATHER’S SHADOW – Akinola Davies Jr

• L’INCONNU DE LA GRANDE ARCHE URCHIN – Stéphane Demoustier

• HOMEBOUND – Harris Dickinson

• A PALE VIEW OF HILLS – Neeraj Ghaywan

• ELEANOR THE GREAT – Scarlett Johansson

• KARAVAN – Zuzana Kirchnerová

• PILLION – Harry Lighton

• UN POETA – Simón Mesa Soto

• AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY – Morad Mostafa

• ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA – Arab et Tarzan Nasser

• O RISO E A FACA (Le Repos sous l’orage) – Pedro Pinho

• THE PLAGUE – Charlie Polinger

• LE CITTÀ DI PIANURA (Un dernier pour la route) – Francesco Sossai

• THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER – Kristen Stewart

• TESTA O CROCE? (Heads or Tails?) – Matteo Zoppis, Alessio Rigo de Righi

 OUT OF COMPETITION: Big Names & Blockbusters

• La venue de l’avenir – Cédric KLAPISCH
• Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – Christopher McQUARRIE- Starring Tom Cruise

 

 

• La femme la plus riche du monde – Thierry KLIFA
• Vie privée – Rebecca ZLOTOWSKI (starring Jodie Foster)
• HIGHEST 2 LOWEST – Spike Lee

   

MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS: Chills & Thrills

• LE ROI SOLEIL – Vincent Maël Cardona

• HONEY DON’T! – Ethan Coen

• DALLOWAY – Yann Gozlan

• EXIT 8 – Kawamura Genki

• SONS OF THE NEON NIGHT – Mak Juno

CANNES PREMIÈRE: Prestige World Premieres

• AMRUM – Fatih Akin

• SPLITSVILLE – Michael Angelo Covino

• MAGALHÃES – Lav Diaz

• LOVE ON TRIAL – Fukada Koji

• LA OLA (La Vague) – Sebastián Lelio

• ÁSTIN SEM EFTIR ER – Hlynur Pálmason

• CONNEMARA – Alex Lutz

• ORWELL : 2+2=5 – Raoul Peck

• DAS VERSCHWINDEN DES JOSEF MENGELE (La Disparition de Josef Mengele) – Kirill Serebrennikov

 

 SPECIAL SCREENINGS

• ARCO – Ugo Bienvenu

• BONO : STORIES OF SURRENDER – Andrew Dominik

• DITES-LUI QUE JE L’AIME – Romane Bohringer

• QUI BRILLE AU COMBAT – Joséphine Japy

• MAMA – Or Sinai

• AMÉLIE ET LA MÉTAPHYSIQUE DES TUBES – Maïlys Vallade et Liane-Cho Han

• Marcel et Monsieur Pagnol – Sylvain Chomet

At the peak of his fame, Marcel Pagnol is asked by a women’s magazine editor to write a serial recounting his youth, his Provence, and his first loves. As he writes, the child he once was—little Marcel—appears to him, and his memories come flooding back.

 

Tribute to Pierre Richard

• L’HOMME QUI A VU L’OURS QUI A VU L’HOMME – Pierre Richard

 

A Milestone Edition, A Fresh Vision

As the Festival celebrates 70 years of the Palme d’Or, Iris Knobloch and Thierry Frémaux reaffirm a clear direction: more women, more first-time directors, and a sharp perspective on today’s world.

Six women directors are in competition—a record—with Juliette Binoche presiding over the jury, succeeding Greta Gerwig. Two women leading the jury in succession, for the first time in Festival history.

 

 

LA QUINZAINE DES CINÉASTES

Short and Medium-Length Films

• BEFORE THE SEA FORGETS by Ngọc Duy Lê

• THE BODY by Louris van de Geer

• BREAD WILL WALK (Le pain se lève) by Alex Boya

• BLUE HEART (Cœur bleu) by Samuel Suffren

• KARMASH (کرمش) by Aleem Bukhari

• LOYNES by Dorian Jespers

• DEATH OF THE FISH (La mort du poisson) by Eva Lusbaronian

• NERVOUS ENERGY by Eve Liu

• WHEN THE GEESE FLEW by Arthur Gay

Feature Films

• ENZO by Laurent Cantet, directed by Robin Campillo – Opening film

• PEAK EVERYTHING (Amour Apocalypse) by Anne Émond

• BRAND NEW LANDSCAPE (見はらし世代) by Yuiga Danzuka – Debut feature film

• THE PARTY’S OVER! (Classe moyenne) by Antony Cordier

• DANGEROUS ANIMALS by Sean Byrne

• WILD FOXES (La danse des renards) by Valéry Carnoy – Debut feature film

• THE GIRL IN THE SNOW (L’engloutie) by Louise Hémon – Debut feature film

• THE GIRLS WE WANT (Les filles désir) by Prïncia Car – Debut feature film

• GIRL ON EDGE (Hua yang shao nv sha ren shi jian) by Jinghao Zhou – Debut feature film

• UNTAMED (Indomptables) by Thomas Ngijol

• KOKUHO by Lee Sang-il

• LUCKY LU by Lloyd Lee Choi – Debut feature film

• MILITANTROPOS by Yelizaveta Smith, Alina Gorlova & Simon Mozgovyi

• MIRRORS No. 3 (Miroirs No. 3) by Christian Petzold

• DEATH DOES NOT EXIST (La mort n’existe pas) by Félix Dufour-Laperrière

• THE PRESIDENT’S CAKE (Mamlaket al-Qasab) by Hasan Hadi – Debut feature film

• HER WILL BE DONE (Que ma volonté soit faite) by Julia Kowalski

• YES by Nadav Lapid

• SORRY, BABY by Eva Victor – Debut feature film – Closing film

 

 

L’ACID

• L’aventura
  A film by Sophie Letourneur (France)

• The Black Snake (La Couleuvre noire)
  A film by Aurélien Vernhes-Lermusiaux (France, Colombia, Brazil)

• Drunken Noodles
  A film by Lucio Castro (USA, Argentina)

• Entroncamento
  A film by Pedro Cabeleira (Portugal, France)

• Drifting Laurent (Laurent dans le vent)
  A film by Anton Balekdjian, Léo Couture, and Mattéo Eustachon (France)

• A Light That Never Goes Out
  A film by Lauri-Matti Parppei (Finland, Norway)

• Obscure Night – “Ain’t I a Child?” (Nuit obscure – « Ain’t I a Child? »)
  A film by Sylvain George (France, Switzerland, Portugal)

• Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
  A film by Sepideh Farsi (France, Palestine, Iran)

• Life After Siham (La Vie après Siham)
  A film by Namir Abdel Messeeh (France, Egypt)

 

 

The Immersive Competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival: A Journey into Innovative Storytelling

The Cannes Film Festival continues its exploration of new storytelling forms with the second edition of its Immersive Competition, taking place from May 14 to 23, 2025, at the Hôtel Carlton. This initiative highlights works that push the boundaries of traditional narratives by incorporating immersive technologies such as virtual reality, mixed reality, video mapping, and artificial intelligence.

An International Selection of 16 Works

This year, the Immersive Competition features 16 works from 9 countries, including 9 in official competition, 2 out of competition, and 5 as part of a focus on Luxembourgish immersive creation. These experiences offer spectators a sensory and interactive dive into diverse universes, addressing themes such as power, domination, human relationships, and our connection to nature and technology.

A Prestigious Jury

The jury for this edition is chaired by French director Luc Jacquet, known for his environmental commitment. He is joined by:

• Laurie Anderson (USA), multidisciplinary artist,

• Tania de Montaigne (France), writer,

• Martha Fiennes (UK), director,

• Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Japan), video game creator.

This jury will award the Best Immersive Work prize during the closing ceremony on May 22, 2025.

A Unique Experience at the Hôtel Carlton

For the first time, the Hôtel Carlton becomes the venue for this competition, transformed into a space dedicated to experiential and innovative narratives. Festival-goers will have the opportunity to experience these works immersively, redefining their relationship with storytelling and imagery.

 

 

Alice Rohrwacher to Chair the Caméra d’Or Jury at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival

Italian director and screenwriter Alice Rohrwacher has been appointed president of the Caméra d’Or Jury for the 78th Cannes Film Festival, taking place from May 13 to 24, 2025.

This prestigious award honors the best first feature film presented in one of the official selections: the Competition, Un Certain Regard, the Critics’ Week, or the Directors’ Fortnight.

Known for her poetic cinema blending naturalism and dreamlike elements, Alice Rohrwacher stated:

“First times are always important and they stay with us for the rest of our lives. Like entering an unfamiliar room, approaching one’s beloved for a first kiss, or landing on a foreign shore. There’s something golden that haloes these moments in our memory. Is that why the most prestigious award for first films is called Caméra d’Or?”

Her filmography, encompassing shorts and features, documentaries and fiction, subtly captures the glow of beginnings and the magic of first experiences. Notable works include:

• Corpo Celeste (2011), presented at the Directors’ Fortnight, portraying a teenager’s quest for meaning.

• The Wonders (Le meraviglie, 2014), Grand Prix winner at Cannes, depicting young sisters’ lives in an isolated farm facing modernity.

• Happy as Lazzaro (Lazzaro felice, 2018), awarded Best Screenplay at Cannes, a fable on innocence and moral corruption.

• La Chimera (2023), presented in Competition, concluding a trilogy on origins and the ties between past and present.

In 2024, the Caméra d’Or was awarded to La Convocation by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, featured in the Un Certain Regard section.

 

 

La Cinef 2025: A Global Showcase of Student Filmmaking at the Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes Film Festival continues to spotlight emerging talent with La Cinef, its section dedicated to films from the world’s top film schools. For its 28th edition, 16 short films—13 fictions and 3 animations—have been selected from over 2,700 entries, highlighting diverse voices, new storytelling perspectives, and artistic innovation.

An Esteemed Jury of Creators and Cultural Figures

The 2025 La Cinef Jury is chaired by German filmmaker Maren Ade, acclaimed for Toni Erdmann. She is joined by four distinguished professionals:

• Reinaldo Marcus Green (USA) – director, screenwriter, producer

• Camélia Jordana (France) – actress and singer-songwriter

• José María Prado Garcia (Spain) – producer, photographer, and former head of the Spanish Film Archive

• Nebojša Slijepčević (Croatia) – director and screenwriter

The jury will award three prizes during a special ceremony on Thursday, May 22, 2025, followed by a screening of the winning films in the Buñuel Theatre.

Three First-Time Participating Schools

This year’s edition welcomes three new institutions to the selection:

• Escola das Artes – UCP (Portugal)

• Super16 (Denmark)

• Estonian Academy of Arts (Estonia), marking the country’s first-ever participation in La Cinef.

The 16 Films Selected for La Cinef 2025

• O pássaro de dentro – Laura Anahory (Portugal – Escola das Artes – UCP – 5’)

• Per bruixa i metzinera – Marc Camardons (Spain – ESCAC – 24’)

• Tres – Juan Ignacio Ceballos (Argentina – UCINE – 24’)

• Matalapaine – Helmi Donner (Finland – Aalto University – 21’)

• Bimo – Oumnia Hanader (France – CinéFabrique – 23’)

• Talk Me – Joecar Hanna (USA – NYU – 19’)

• First Summer – Heo Gayoung (South Korea – KAFA – 30’)

• Måske i marts – Mikkel Bjørn Kehlert (Denmark – Super16 – 24’)

• Winter in March – Natalia Mirzoyan (Estonia – Estonian Academy of Arts – 16’)

• My Grandmother Is a Skydiver – Polina Piddubna (Germany – Filmuniversität Babelsberg – 13’)

• 12 Moments Before the Flag-Raising Ceremony – Qu Zhizheng (China – Beijing Film Academy – 16’)

• Ether – Vida Skerk (UK – NFTS – 15’)

• Fursecuri și lapte – Andrei Tache-Codreanu (Romania – UNATC – 21’)

• Ginger Boy – Miki Tanaka (Japan – ENBU Seminar – 48’)

• A Doll Made Up of Clay – Kokob Gebrehaweria Tesfay (India – Satyajit Ray FTTI – 24’)

• Le Continent somnambule – Jules Vésigot-Wahl (France – La Fémis – 26’)

 

 

Follow the Festival from May 13 to 24 on @movieintheair and in our weekly newsletter.

 

Official website

 

Cannes Film Festival 2024

 

Falafel Cinéma and the Cannes Film (podcast)