The Cannes Film Festival is making its grand return from May 13 to 24, 2025, once again turning the glamorous French Riviera into the heart of the film world. This year, French actor Laurent Lafitte will be hosting both the opening and closing ceremonies, stepping in for Camille Cottin. Meanwhile, Juliette Binoche, the legendary French actress who won an Oscar and first walked the Cannes red carpet 40 years ago, will serve as the president of the jury. With a wide-ranging selection of filmmakers, fresh talent, and major global stars, the 2025 edition is already being hailed as one of the most exciting in recent years.
Italy is making a strong impression in the main competition with Fuori, a film by director Mario Martone. It stars Valeria Golino as the writer Goliarda Sapienza, exploring her time in prison and the deep relationships she formed with other inmates. Golino, who previously adapted Sapienza’s The Art of Joy into a series, is now taking on the role herself. Two more Italian films will appear in the Un Certain Regard section: Heads or Tails?, a western by Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis, and The Cities of the Plain, a thoughtful road movie by Francesco Sossai.
Hollywood will also have a major presence this year. Joaquin Phoenix leads Eddington, a Western set during the pandemic, directed by Ari Aster and featuring Pedro Pascal and Emma Stone. Scarlett Johansson is making her debut as a director with Eleanor the Great, which will screen in the Un Certain Regard section. Kristen Stewart’s film The Chronology of Water is also featured in the same category. Robert Pattinson will star in Die, My Love, directed by Lynne Ramsay, where he appears alongside Jennifer Lawrence.
Wes Anderson is back with The Phoenician Scheme, a stylish spy movie featuring a star-studded cast including Benicio Del Toro, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Actor Josh O’Connor is another major name to watch, appearing in two highly anticipated films—The History of Sound, a romantic World War I story with Paul Mescal, and The Mastermind, an art heist drama directed by Kelly Reichardt.
In a highlight moment, screen legend Robert De Niro will be honored with an Honorary Palme d’Or during the festival’s opening night. He will also lead a public masterclass the next day, sharing insights from his long career. That same evening, Tom Cruise will return to Cannes for the special out-of-competition premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, alongside director Christopher McQuarrie and co-stars Vanessa Kirby and Mariela Garriga. This will mark Cruise’s third time at the festival.
The official lineup of Cannes 2025 features a powerful mix of voices from around the world. Some of the most respected directors in global cinema will be showcasing new work, including Julia Ducournau (Alpha), Richard Linklater (Nouvelle Vague), and Jafar Panahi (A Simple Accident). The American distributor Neon is also returning, bringing along two much-talked-about films: Alpha and Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier. With such an impressive collection of films and talent, this year’s festival is shaping up to be a standout event in the world of cinema.
