In a thrilling update ahead of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, several high-profile films have been added to the official selection, further boosting Hollywood’s presence and gender parity in competition.
Lynne Ramsay’s long-anticipated comeback, Die, My Love, will premiere in competition, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson. Based on Ariana Harwicz’s acclaimed novel, the psychological thriller unfolds in rural America, capturing a woman’s descent into madness after childbirth. Ramsay, who last shook Cannes with You Were Never Really Here in 2017, joins a record-breaking seven female directors in this year’s main competition — Alongside Ramsay, the lineup includes Kelly Reichardt (The Mastermind), Hafsia Herzi (La Petite Dernière), Carla Simón (Romería), Julia Ducournau (Alpha), Chie Hayakawa, and Mascha Schilinski (Sound of Falling) .
Un Certain Regard Welcomes Kristen Stewart and More
Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, has been selected for the Un Certain Regard section. Based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir, the experimental film adds a deeply personal narrative voice to the festival’s most daring sidebar. Other Un Certain Regard titles include Anna Cazenave Cambet’s Love Me Tender, Simón Mesa Soto’s Un Poeta, and Pedro Pinho’s O Riso E A Faca (Le Rire et le Couteau).
Also joining the official selection is Saeed Roustaee’s Mother and Child in competition, following the Iranian director’s breakout Leila’s Brothers. Midnight screenings will feature Ethan Coen’s offbeat comedy Honey Don’t! and Vincent Maël Cardona’s Le Roi Soleil.
Global Auteur Power in Cannes Premieres
Cannes Premieres will highlight new work by celebrated international auteurs:
Renai Saiban by Kōji Fukada,
Ástin Sem Eftir Er by Hlynur Pálmason,
and Magalhães by Filipino master Lav Diaz.
A Star-Heavy Affair on the Croisette
Hollywood’s influence remains undeniable at this year’s festival. Tom Cruise returns for the world premiere of Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, while Denzel Washington reunites with Spike Lee for Highest 2 Lowest.
Oscar-winner Jodie Foster appears in Rebecca Zlotowski’s out-of-competition crime caper Vie Privée, and Josh O’Connor leads Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind, a heist film also in competition. Reichardt’s film marks her Cannes debut in the competition section.
Further buzz surrounds Paul Mescal and Oliver Hermanus’ The History of Sound, Ari Aster’s enigmatic Eddington (starring Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal, and Austin Butler), and Wes Anderson’s star-studded ensemble, The Phoenician Scheme, featuring Benicio del Toro, Scarlett Johansson, and more. Johansson also marks her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great, included in Un Certain Regard.
Read more about Cannes