Cannes 2025 Official Selection Announced: Ari Aster, Wes Anderson, Julia Ducournau, and More to Compete for the Palme d’Or

The 78th Cannes Film Festival is officially underway following the announcement of its Official Selection, made on Thursday, April 10, by General Delegate Thierry Frémaux and Festival President Iris Knobloch in Paris. From May 13 to 24, 2025, this year’s festival promises a rich and diverse program blending prestigious auteurs, exciting new voices, and major Hollywood titles.

The competition line-up features acclaimed directors like Wes Anderson, Ari Aster, Richard Linklater, Julia Ducournau, Kelly Reichardt, and Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, as well as rising talents from around the world.

Juliette Binoche to Preside Over the Jury

Celebrated French actress Juliette Binoche has been named President of the Jury for this year’s edition. Binoche, who recently represented France at the Oscars with La Passion de Dodin Bouffant, follows in the footsteps of last year’s Jury President, Greta Gerwig.

Actor Laurent Lafitte will return as master of ceremonies for both the opening and closing nights, a role he last held in 2016.

Robert De Niro to Receive Honorary Palme d’Or

The 2025 festival will open with a major tribute: Robert De Niro will receive the Honorary Palme d’Or for lifetime achievement. A frequent guest of the festival and star of Taxi Driver and Mission, both Palme d’Or winners, De Niro continues his cinematic journey with Cannes in grand style.

Ari Aster, Wes Anderson, and a Diverse Competition Lineup

Among the most anticipated films in competition are Ari Aster’s dark comedy Eddington, featuring Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, and Pedro Pascal, and Wes Anderson’s star-packed The Phoenician Scheme, with Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Benicio Del Toro, and Riz Ahmed.

Other highlights include:

• Alpha by Julia Ducournau

• New Wave by Richard Linklater

• The Mastermind by Kelly Reichardt

• The History of Sound by Oliver Hermanus

• Fuori by Mario Martone

• Romería by Carla Simón

• Sirat by Oliver Laxe

Un Certain Regard Features Directorial Debuts and Rising Stars

In the Un Certain Regard sidebar, fresh voices abound. Scarlett Johansson makes her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great, while actors-turned-directors Harris Dickinson (Urchin) and Harry Lighton (Pillion) present their first features.

Other notable entries include:

• My Father’s Shadow by Akinola Davies Jr.

• La Misteriosa Mirada del Flamenco by Diego Céspedes

• Aisha Can’t Fly Away by Morad Mostafa

• The Plague by Charlie Polinger

Tom Cruise Returns with Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning

A major Hollywood moment is set for May 14, when Tom Cruise will return to the Croisette with Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, directed by Christopher McQuarrie, screening out of competition. Its theatrical release is scheduled for May 21, just after the festival wraps.

Special Screenings, Midnight Madness & Cannes Premieres

The Special Screenings section includes Bono: Stories of Surrender, a documentary from Andrew Dominik, while Cédric Klapisch, Thierry Klifa, and Rebecca Zlotowski all bring new works out of competition.

Midnight Screenings will host high-energy titles like Exit 8 and Sons of the Neon Night, while Orwell: 2+2=5 by Raoul Peck and Amrum by Fatih Akin will debut in Cannes Premiere.

Italian Cinema at Cannes 2025

Italian cinema is proudly represented at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, where three films were selected across major sections. At the forefront is Mario Martone’s Fuori, the only Italian title in competition this year. The film, starring Valeria Golino, explores the life of the iconic writer Goliarda Sapienza and is based on a screenplay co-written with Ippolita di Majo. Set in Rome in 1980, Fuori follows Sapienza’s transformative experience in prison and the unexpected bonds that reignite her will to live and write.

Festival General Delegate Thierry Frémaux described Fuori as “a paradoxical film that tells the opposite of what its title suggests,” calling Martone “a vibrant Italian artist and passionate cinephile.” The cast also includes Matilda De Angelis, Francesco Gheghi, and Elodie.

In the Un Certain Regard section, two more Italian films are drawing attention:

• Testa o Croce? by Matteo Zoppis and Alessio Rigo de Righi – a uniquely Italian western set at the dawn of the 20th century. Featuring Alessandro Borghi, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, and John C. Reilly, the film follows a love story wrapped in cowboy legend, injustice, and the elusive dream of America.

• Le città di pianura, the debut feature by Francesco Sossai, is a touching road movie about friendship and self-discovery. With a cast including Filippo Scotti, Sergio Romano, and Roberto Citran, the film reflects a new wave of intimate and resonant Italian storytelling.

Kristen Stewart and Spike Lee: Still in the Running?

While Kristen Stewart’s The Chronology of Water and Terrence Malick’s The Way of the Wind were not announced during the press conference, late additions are common. Within hours, Spike Lee confirmed via Instagram that his film Highest 2 Lowest, starring Denzel Washington, will indeed premiere out of competition at Cannes.

Gender Balance & Selection Stats

Out of a record-breaking 2,909 submissions, the 2025 selection features 32% of films directed by women, including six female directors in competition — mirroring last year’s figures and just one short of the all-time record.

Cannes 2025: Full List of Official Selections

Opening Film

• Leave One Day (Partir un Jour) by Amélie Bonnin

In Competition

• The Phoenician Scheme – Wes Anderson

• Eddington – Ari Aster

• Young Mothers – Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne

• Alpha – Julia Ducournau

• Renoir – Hayakawa Chie

• The History of Sound – Oliver Hermanus

• La Petite Dernière – Hafsia Herzi

• Sirat – Oliver Laxe

• New Wave – Richard Linklater

• Two Prosecutors – Sergei Loznitsa

• Fuori – Mario Martone

• The Secret Agent – Kleber Mendonça Filho

• Dossier 137 – Dominik Moll

• Un Simple Accident – Jafar Panahi

• The Mastermind – Kelly Reichardt

• Aigles of the Republic – Tarik Saleh

• Sound of Falling – Mascha Schilinski

• Romería – Carla Simón

• Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier

Un Certain Regard

• La Misteriosa Mirada del Flamenco – Diego Céspedes

• Météors – Hubert Charuel

• My Father’s Shadow – Akinola Davies Jr.

• L’Inconnu de la Grande Arche – Stéphane Demoustier

• Urchin – Harris Dickinson

• Homebound – Neeraj Ghaywan

• A Pale View of Hills – Ishikawa Kei

• Eleanor the Great – Scarlett Johansson

• Karavan – Zuzana Kirchnerová

• Pillion – Harry Lighton

• Aisha Can’t Fly Away – Morad Mostafa

• Once Upon a Time in Gaza – Arab & Tarzan Nasser

• The Plague – Charlie Polinger

• Promised Sky – Erige Sehiri

• The Last One for the Road – Francesco Sossai

• Heads or Tails? – Rigo de Righi & Zoppis

Out of Competition

• Colours of Time – Cédric Klapisch

• The Richest Woman in the World – Thierry Klifa

• Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – Christopher McQuarrie

• Vie Privée – Rebecca Zlotowski

• Highest 2 Lowest – Spike Lee

Special Screenings

• Bono: Stories of Surrender – Andrew Dominik

• Tell Her That I Love Her – Romane Bohringer

• A Magnificent Life – Sylvain Chomet

Midnight Screenings

• The Residence (Dalloway) – Yann Gozlan

• Exit 8 – Kawamura Genki

• Sons of the Neon Night – Mak Juno

Cannes Premiere

• Amrum – Fatih Akin

• Splitsville – Michael Angelo Covino

• The Wave – Sebastián Lelio

• Connemara – Alex Lutz

• Orwell: 2+2=5 – Raoul Peck

• The Disappearance of Josef Mengele – Kirill Serebrennikov

Stay tuned to fred.fm and FRED Film Radio for exclusive coverage, interviews, red carpet reports, and podcast updates throughout Cannes 2025.