The 76th Cannes Film Festival kicked off earlier this week on the French Riviera. As one of the biggest events in the film calendar, this is where some of the world’s most talented directors will showcase their masterpieces in hopes of securing the Palme d’Or, the industry’s most prestigious award. Previous winners include Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite (2019), Julia DuCorneau’s Titane (2021) and Robin Ostlund’s Triangle of Sadness.
The focus of the festival remains on the films that will be shown, but adding a layer of glitz and glamor to the event are the celebrities who are invited to the event. All elegantly dressed and adorned with shimmering jewels, the Cannes Film Festival is a fitting opportunity for fashion and jewelry houses to win eyeballs.
In this year’s edition, there are 21 films competing for the Palme d’Or. The judging panel that will preside over the score includes last year’s winner Ruben Ostlund. The festival also sees female filmmakers vying for the top spot – seven films have been led by women, a record in the nearly 80 years of its existence. This year’s roster includes household names and bigwigs like Wes Anderson, Hirokazu Kor-ida, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Todd Haynes, Wim Wenders and more.
Ahead, we round up the 5 most anticipated films showing at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, the list includes films in and out of competition, Un Certain Regard and specials.
Asteroid City by Wes Anderson
The story is set in a fictional town in 1955, around a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention where students and their parents gather from all over the country, but events startlingly change the world. The cast includes famous actors and actresses like Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Hanks.
May December by Todd Haynes
The film is about a couple in a May-December romance, but is set 20 years after the “famous romance that took the nation by storm”. Gracie Atherton-Yeo, played by Julianne Moore, and husband Joe (23 years her junior) slip under pressure when Hollywood actress Elizabeth Perry, played by Natalie Portman, arrives to research a film about the couple’s past.
The Beast by Hirokazu Kure-eda
Veteran director Hirokazu Kureda’s “Shoplifters” won the Palme d’Or in 2018 and this year he wants to recreate the moment with this new film. The premise of “Monster” follows a mother who begins to notice her young son is behaving strangely. Wanting to understand what had happened to her son, she turned to his school and teacher, and demanded to know what was going on.
Area of Interest by Jonathan Glazer
Loosely based on the novel of the same name by Martin Amis, the film follows a Nazi officer and his wife as they make ends meet for their lives in a house located next to a concentration camp. The novel tells the story of a love triangle between Hedwig and a Nazi officer. It is told from the perspective of three characters, including a Jewish Sonderkommando.
Jean du Barry by Maiwenn
The film already premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, starring the film Johnny Depp She received a standing ovation as she opened the 12-day event. The film marks Depp’s return to the silver screen after a defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard last year. In the film, Depp plays King Louis XV, and it is about the relationship between the king who becomes his favorite mistress.
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