Cannes is one of the biggest film festivals in the world. Known for the quality of its films and its super chic dress code, the festival is back with a vengeance. Since last year there was no Cannes, this year there is a massive amount of films to be screened.
The jury features a panel made up of a majority of women, filmmakers like Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent and Mati Diop. It’s also helmed by Spike Lee, something that is bound to result in an exciting round of winners.
Here are 8 of the most anticipated movies at Cannes:
1. Annette
Starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, Annette was meant to premiere in last year’s Cannes. The film follows a stand-up comedian and his wife, whose lives take an unexpected turn when their daughter is born with a unique gift. From the trailer, you’ll see that the movie appears to be much weirder than what the premise suggests. For starters, it’s a musical.
2. Bergman Island
Bergman Island looks exciting for many reasons, one of them being the fact that it stars Vicky Krieps. The actress, best known for her role in Phantom Thread, stars as a filmmaker who joins her famous partner (Tim Roth) on a trip to Bergman Island, the place where the Swedish icon and auteur shot all of his films. As the protagonist starts to write a screenplay, reality begins to blur with fiction.
3. The Souvenir Part II
© GettyImagesThe Souvenir Part II is the rare sequel of an independent art film. It follows protagonist Julie Harte (Portrayed by Tilda Swinton’s daughter, Honor Swinton Byrne) as she grieves the loss of her boyfriend by plunging herself into her art. The film co-stars Joe Alwyn and Harris Dickinson.
4. Titane
Directed by Julia Ducournau, who directed the critically acclaimed film Raw, Titane is a sophomore film that earned a spot in Cannes, no easy feat for a starting filmmaker, especially for a woman. The film is shrouded in so much secrecy that the distribution company chose to provide no premise. Instead, they’ve only provided us with a definition of the movie’s title: “A metal highly resistant to heat and corrosion, with high tensile strength alloys, often used in medical prostheses due to its pronounced biocompatibility.”
5. Red Rocket
Directed by Sean Baker, director of quietly great films like Tangerine, The Florida Project and Starlet, Red Rocket follows a former performer who returns to his hometown of Texas and is confronted by people he’s been avoiding all his life. It stars Simon Rex.
6. After Yang
© GettyImagesDirected by Kogonada, who also directed Columbus, After Yang is a much different offer from his previous work. It’s a sci-fi film that follows a family and their A.I. helper, who experiences an unexpected breakdown. It stars Haley Lu Richardson, Colin Farrell, and Jodie Turner-Smith.
7. Aline
Aline is a biopic, loosely inspired on the life of Celine Dion. That’s all you need to know to get excited for this film. It is directed, co-written and stars Valérie Lemercier.
8. Benedetta
Paul Verhoeven returns to the big screen with Benedetta, a film that follows a 17th-century nun who gets involved in a love affair with another woman. Verhoeven, maker of films like Basic Instinct and Elle, feels right at home with a premise like Benedetta‘s, being no stranger to controversy. His skill lies in his ability to blend scandal with craft.
