Cannes 2025: Star Power, Debuts, and Global Stories Shine

As the 78th Cannes Film Festival rolls out its red carpet from May 13–24, 2025, the world’s most glamorous celebration of cinema is once again bringing together film legends, rising talent, and international storytellers in a lineup that feels both grounded in tradition and thrillingly fresh. For movie fans and travel buffs alike, Cannes is a destination worth adding to your list.

A Daring and Dynamic Official Selection

This year’s main competition showcases 22 feature films, each offering a distinctive voice. Wes Anderson returns with The Phoenician Scheme, a stylized espionage drama, while Ari Aster’s Eddington blends Western tropes with biting comedy, anchored by stars Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, and Emma Stone.

Julia Ducournau, who won the Palme d’Or in 2021, is back with Alpha, a provocative exploration of human transformation. Richard Linklater debuts in the main competition with Nouvelle Vague, a love letter to the French New Wave. And Carla Simón’s Romería completes her trilogy about rural Spain.

One of the most historic entries comes from Akinola Davies Jr., whose film My Father’s Shadow marks Nigeria’s first-ever inclusion in the Official Selection—an important milestone for African cinema.

Spotlighting First-Time Directors

The Un Certain Regard section is brimming with bold directorial debuts. Scarlett Johansson’s Eleanor the Great tells the story of a grandmother chasing her dreams in New York, while Kristen Stewart adapts Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir The Chronology of Water, a raw portrait of resilience.

British actor Harris Dickinson directs Urchin, a gritty, character-driven film inspired by his volunteer work with London’s homeless community. These entries highlight a growing trend: actors stepping behind the camera to deliver personal, genre-defying stories.

Star Power Returns to the Riviera

This year’s Cannes will not be short on red carpet heat. Tom Cruise is back with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, while Spike Lee screens his latest, Highest 2 Lowest, starring Denzel Washington.

Robert De Niro will be honored with a lifetime achievement Palme d’Or, celebrating a career that has defined generations of cinema. Jury president Juliette Binoche leads a panel that includes Halle Berry and Jeremy Strong, offering an international perspective on the year’s top contenders.

A Global Lineup

From Iran to Japan, this year’s lineup reflects a deep commitment to stories from around the world. Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident and Sergei Loznitsa’s Two Prosecutors offer complex takes on justice and political morality, while Renoir by Chie Hayakawa bridges cultures through a French-Japanese biopic.

Expanding the Cinematic Experience

Beyond traditional screenings, Cannes 2025 includes an immersive competition of nine entries that experiment with virtual reality and collective storytelling. Meanwhile, the beloved Cinéma de la Plage program continues to deliver beachside screenings of both classics and contemporary gems—turning the Mediterranean coast into a community theater under the stars.

Cannes 2025 isn’t just a showcase—it’s a statement: the world’s stories, from the familiar to the unexpected, belong on screen. And there’s no better stage than the Croisette.