Cannes Film Festival 2025: Jury, biggest films, streaming details
What's the story
The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will be held from May 13-24, turning the French coastal town into a haven for movie buffs.
The festival will see Indian director Payal Kapadia, who won the Grand Prix last year for All We Imagine As Light, serving as a jury member this year.
She will be joined by Juliette Binoche, Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong, etc.
Here are the top highlights expected this year.
Competition films
Diverse competition lineup at Cannes 2025
The main competition lineup for this year's Cannes is a mixed bag, including both veterans and new voices.
Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne return with Young Mothers, while Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, whose No Bears won critical acclaim, comes with A Simple Accident.
Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme, starring Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Riz Ahmed, and Bill Murray, is his fourth time in competition.
Gender representation
Gender parity in Cannes's competition films
In a major milestone of gender parity, one-third of this year's competition films at Cannes are directed by women.
Among them is 2021 Palme d'Or winner Julia Ducournau, who returns with Alpha, a NEON-backed body horror reportedly set during the AIDS crisis.
NEON has emerged as a major player at Cannes, having distributed all of the previous five Palme winners.
Festival highlights
High-profile titles and India's presence at Cannes
Out-of-competition slots at Cannes are packed with big-ticket titles like Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest and Ethan Coen's Honey Don't!
Tom Cruise also returns to the festival with Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.
India's footprint at Cannes is getting bigger this year, with Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound premiering in the Un Certain Regard section. Featuring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, the film has been endorsed by Martin Scorsese.
Indian representation
Other notable Indian films and personalities at Cannes
Satyajit Ray's Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest) returns in 4K at Cannes, with legendary actor Sharmila Tagore gracing the screening.
India also features in La Cinef with A Doll Made Up of Clay, a short film by Ethiopian student Kokob Gebrehaweria Tesfay studying in Kolkata.
Bollywood's glamor quotient will be upped with Alia Bhatt's Cannes debut as a L'Oreal ambassador, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan making her annual appearance.
Where to watch
Here's when, where to watch the film festival
One needs to follow the official Festival de Cannes YouTube channel for 24 x 7 coverage.
Set to start on Tuesday at 11:00am in Cannes, Indians will be able to catch live updates from 2:30pm IST.
Reportedly, Palme d'Or d'honneur presentation is set for Tuesday at 7:15pm (around 10:45pm IST).