The Cannes Film Festival is probably the most famous in the world. It’s also the most glamorous. The biggest stars walking the wide red carpet and wearing the finest of clothing. The major players all lining up against the backdrop of gorgeous Southern France. The unyielding sun bearing down on slick, over-tanned bodies with chest hair bulging out from unbuttoned cotton shirts while Euro-pop thumps endlessly into the air. Truly, a film lover’s dream.
I can’t honestly trash Cannes because I’ve never been, but it’s hard not to when so many people think so highly of it. Either it’s the grandest of all film events or its an excuse for important people to feel even more important while watching films that either really are high-art or are boringly pretentious. For some reason, Cannes has always had difficulty figuring out the difference.
Per Indie Wire, this year, there’s a host of familiar names like Almodovar, Tarantino, Lee, Von Trier, Noe, Campion, Loach, and Haneke that bring a lot of energy to the table. And all of them have entries amongst the twenty that will be vying for the Palme d’Or.
Opening Film:
“Up,” directed by Peter Docter
In Competition:
“Abrazos Rotos” (Broken Embraces), directed by Pedro Almodovar
“Antichrist,” directed by Lars Von Trier
“Bright Star,” directed by Jane Campion
“Enter The Void,” directed by Gasper Noe
“Faces,” directed by Tsai Ming-liang
“Fish Tank,” directed by Andrea Arnold
“Kinatay,” directed by directed by Brillante Mendoza
“Les Herbes folles,” directed by Alain Resnais
“In The Beginning,” directed by Xavier Giannoli
“Inglorious Basterds,” directed by Quentin Tarantino
“Looking For Eric,” directed by Ken Loach
“Map of the Sounds of Tokyo,” directed by Isabel Coixet
“A Prophet,” directed by Jacques Audiard
“Spring Fever,” directed by Lou Ye
“Taking Woodstock,” directed by Ang Lee
“The Time That Remains,” directed by Elia Suleiman
“Thirst,” directed by directed by Park Chan Wook
“Vengeance,” directed by Johnny To
“Vincere,” directed by Marco Bellocchio
“The White Ribbon,” directed by Michael Haneke
Un Certain Regard (culturally diverse films offering something new and original):
“Mother,” directed by Bong Joon Ho
“Irene,” directed by Alain Cavalier
“Precious,” directed by Lee Daniels
“Demain Des L’Aube,” directed by Denis Dercourt
“Adrift,” directed by Heitor Dhalia
“Nobody Knows About the Persian Cats,” directed by Bahman Ghobadi
“Los Viajes del Viento,” directed by Ciro Guerra
“Le Pere de mes Enfants,” directed by Mia Hansen-Love
“Tales from the Golden Age,” directed by Hanno Hoefer, Ravan Marculescu, Cristian Mungiu, Constantin Popescu, Ioana Uricaru
“Tale in the Darkness,” directed by Nikolay Khomeriki
“Air Doll,” directed by Hirokazu Kore-Eda
“Dogtooth,” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
“Tzar,” directed by Pavel Lounguine
“Independence,” directed by Raya Martin
“Politist, Adjectiv,” directed by Corneliu Porumboiu
“Nymph,” directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
“Morrer Como Un Homem,” directed by Jao Pedro Rodgrigues
“Eyes Wide Open,” directed by Haim Tabakman
“Samson and Delilah,” directed by Warwick Thornton
“The Silent Army,” directed by Jean van de Velde
Out of Competition:
“Agora,” directed by Alejandro Amenabar
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” directed by Terry Gilliam
“L’Armee du Crime,” directed by Robert Guediguian
Midnight Screenings:
“A Town Called Panic,” directed by Stephane Aubier and Vincent Patar
“Drag Me To Hell,” directed by Sam Raimi
“Ne Te Retourne Pas,” directed by Marina de Van
Special Screenings:
“My Neighbor, My Killer,” directed by Anne Aghion
“Martin Manila,” directed by Adolfo Alix, Jr.
“Min Ye,” directed by Souleymane Cisse
“L’Epine Dans Le Coeur,” directed by Michel Gondry
“Petition,” directed b Zhao Liang
“Kalat Hayam” (Jaffa), directed by Keren Yedaya
Closing Film:
“Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky,” directed by Jan Kounen
Which films would you be looking forward to?
Related Topics: Cannes, Film Festivals, Pixar
