#Cannes2025 Buzz

Berlin Film Festival is over and as many say, Cannes has just started; so, no surprise that there are several industry sources with speculations about films that could go to the main and other sections of Cannes 2025.

Now is my turn. Not always is easy to find reliable info about the status of films but I will try my best using different European more than American sources. My first list is more about hopes than realities as know during March is when news start to be more status specific and becomes easy to know which filmmakers could go to Cannes.

But most of all, the list is about films that sooner or later we will be able to watch and from this small list, the panorama looks auspicious as there are some films with extraordinary directors that could and hopefully will blow our brains, eyes and hearts.

No date yet, but expect mid-April for Cannes Selection press conference as well as the announcement for the collateral sections. Then the guessing game will be over. Sigh.

Whatever happens the list has great news as there are outstanding filmmakers with movies that could be released in 2025 for us to be watched ASAP.

As we know, Juliette Binoche will preside over the International Jury of the 78th Festival de Cannes and it happens exactly 40 years after here first appearance on La Croisette. She will succeed Greta Gerwing and for the second time in the Festival's history (i.e. 78 years), one woman in film will the take up the torch from another.

So, what do we have in below list? Later in the month will chose the films that I believe should be in Cannes will go deep into them but for now, here is brief summary for a few excepcional films and/or films that called my attention after reading so much about all of them.

Most interesting is that there is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's High and Low (1963) by none other than Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington, my curiosity became at its highest level with the news. Also great news come from Jodie Foster speaking French in a Rebecca Zlotowski's film where Virginia Efira also stars! Then there is a film with Jennifer Lawrence and by a great female director Lynne Ramsay that has a few "but" from me, like co-star is Robert Pattinson and is labeled as comedy-horror, yak!

A few weeks ago found out that what I consider the best actor in the world, Tony Leung (thank you Won Kar Wai for your masterpiece In the Mood for Love) and one of my favorite actresses, Léa Seydoux are working together, in the same film (!!!) and, brace yourself, in a film directed by none other than Ildiko Enyedi! Film has to go to Cannes.  Of course, I'm dying to see it.  LOL.

Having the possibility of another Carlos Reygadas film is absolutely breathtaking and no better news than Joachim Trier and Renate Reinsve have a film, plus Pálmason, Akin, Serebrenikov and perhaps the only American filmmaker that really interest me, Paul Thomas Anderson all having films that sooner or later we will be able to see, have to be outstanding news!

Update: According to recent news from reliable source, the Cannes press conference of the Official Selections should be on April 17, the Critics' Week on April 21 and Director's Fortnight on April 22.

Good probabilities

Ástin sem eftir er (The Love That Remains), Hlynur Pálmason
Die My Love, Lynn Ramsay (Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson)
Eddington, Ari Aster (Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone) (post-production)
狂野时代 Kuang ye shi dai (Resurrection), Bi Gan (Pre-sales by Les Films du Losange)
La Ola (The Wave), Sebastian Lelio (musical)
La Maison Maternelle (Young Mother), Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
Les roches rouges (Red Rocks), Bruno Dumont
Miroirs No. 3, Christian Petzold (Was expected in Berllinale...)
Nouvelle Vague, Richard Linklater  (post-production) (in French and about Godard ...)
Orwell, Raoul Peck (documentary)
Sentimental Value, Joachim Trier (Renate Reinsve)
The Disappearance of Joseph Mengele, Kirill Serebrenikkov (post-production)
The Doctor Says, I’ll Be Alright But I’m Feelin’ Blue, Mascha Schilinski (HIGH Buzzz!)
The Mastermind, Kelly Reichardt (post-production)
Materialists, Celine Song (release date June 13)
The Phoenician Scheme, Wes Anderson (USA limited release on May 30)
The Way of the Wing, Terence Malick
Une Affaire (An Affair), Arnoud Desplechin
Vie Privée (Private Life), Rebecca Zlotowski (Jodie Foster speaking French and Virginie Efira) (post-production)
Yes!, Nadav Lapid

I Hope (films "dying" to see)

Chronology Of Water, Kristen Stewart (Berlinale pre-sales by Les Films du Losange)
Estela de Sombra (Wake of Umbra), Carlos Reygadas
Silent Friend, Ildiko Enyedi (Tony Leung and Léa Seydoux!!!)

Maybe Cannes, Maybe Venice

After the Hunt, Luca Guadagnino (Julia Roberts) (October release - Venice)
Amrum, Fatih Akin (Diane Kruger) (Germany release in September 2025)
At The Sea, Kornél Mundruczó (USA film)
Bugonia, Yorgos Lanthimos (Venice)
Butterfly Jam, Kantemir Balagov (Riley Keough and Barry Keoghan) (Bigelov's first English-language film)
Calle Malaga, Maryam Touzani (Carmen Maura) (post-production)
Eleanor The Great, Scarlett Johansson (debut film) (June Squibb)
Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, Jim Jarmusch (Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver) (is in post-production)
Fuori, Mario Martone (Valeria Golino)
Hamnet, Chloé Zhao (Venice)
Highest 2 Lowest, Spike Lee (Denzel Washington) (post-production)
O Agente Secreto (The Secret Agent), Kleber Mendonça Filho
One Battle after Another, Paul Thomas Anderson (release date moved from August 8, probably will be in Venice)
Orphan, László Nemes
Sons, Pablo Trapero (Bill Nighy - first film in English)
The History of Sound, Oliver Hermanus (Josh O'Connor - gay interest)
Two Prosecutors, Sergei Loznitsa (post-production

Not Sure will be Ready

Alpha, Julia Ducournau (Tahar Rahim) (rushing to go Cannes, but not ready yet)
Couture, Alice Winocour (Angelina Jolie, Louis Garrel) (selling in Berlin)
Jupiter, Andrei Zvyagintsev  (listed as in pre-production)
I Want Your Sex, Gregg Araki
La Grazia, Paolo Sorrentino (Spring filming - Venice?)
No Other Choice, Park Chan-wook (Release later this year - Venice?)
The Avenging Silence, Nicolas Winding Refn (shooting 2026?)
The Entertainment System is Down, Ruben Östlund (Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst) (still filming in Budapest?)
The Fountains of Paradise, Apichatpong Weerasethakul (pre-production, filming 2026)

There are more names being speculated in different media outlets but being only my first list covers many well-known established filmmakers and a few newcomers that can stir the industry because of their celebrity status (Stewart and Johansson) and a German director (Schilinski) that is making huge word-of-mouth waves with her second film.

Let's not forget that noise comes from announced films and news about being submitted to Cannes; still, the different sections of the festival have to accept them. Know is obvious but with all the noise is better we recall this simple fact.

The usual USA blockbuster seems this year will be Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, there are (were?) other titles like Superman, Elio, 28 Years Later, and F1 in consideration but, some how disappeared as March news begin to drop.