The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival reveals its official selection. Among the films in the running are festival regulars, young directors, and several works eagerly anticipated by the general public.
The official selection of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival was announced this Thursday, April 10, one month before the event’s opening. The 78th edition will be held from May 13 to 24, with Juliette Binoche presiding over the jury. The opening of the festival will feature a debut French film: Partir un jour, directed by Amélie Bonnin.
This announcement was made by Iris Knobloch, the festival president, and Thierry Frémaux, the general delegate. The opening and closing ceremonies will be broadcast on France Télévisions and Brut. Laurent Lafitte will host the event.
From First Films to Big Names in Cinema
The official selection is divided into several sections: Competition, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Premieres, Special Screenings, Midnight Screenings, and Out of Competition.
Among the films in competition are Alpha by Julia Ducournau, Dossier 137 by Dominik Moll, and La Petite Dernière by Hafsia Herzi. Renowned filmmakers stand alongside rising directors. Jeunes Mères, directed by the Dardenne brothers, and The Phoenician Scheme by Wes Anderson are also among the films competing.
Wes Anderson’s film features Benicio del Toro, Tom Hanks, and Scarlett Johansson. Johansson may also present her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great, selected in the Un Certain Regard section.
Regarding special screenings, Stories of Surrender by Bono, Dites-lui que je l’aime by Romane Bohringer, and Marcel et Monsieur Pagnol by Sylvain Chomet are announced. The “Cannes Premieres” section includes, among others, Amrun by Fatih Akin, Connemara by Alex Lutz, and La Disparition de Josef Mengele by Kirill Serebrennikov.
In the midnight screenings, audiences will discover Sons of the Neon Night by Juno Mak and Dalloway by Yann Gozlan.
Finally, several works will be shown out of competition, including Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning by Christopher McQuarrie, featuring Tom Cruise. The American star will present it on May 14, the day before its theatrical release.
A Tribute and Commitments
The opening ceremony will also be an opportunity to pay tribute to Robert De Niro. The American actor will receive an Honorary Palme for his entire career. He had chaired the festival jury in 2011 and starred in several Cannes-winning films, such as Taxi Driver by Martin Scorsese.
This edition is also marked by a stance on sexual violence in the film industry. In a report presented the day before the selection announcement, parliamentarian Sandrine Rousseau called out the organizers. She stated: “You have a responsibility as a place of power. This responsibility is to say: we hear you, we believe you, we will support you.”
In response, Juliette Binoche affirmed that the parliamentarians’ recommendations would be taken into account “with seriousness and determination.” She wants the festival to be a space for listening and transformation.
The 2025 Cannes Film Festival will thus open under the banner of renewal, recognition, and heightened attention to social issues that traverse the world of cinema.