PARIS 鈥� New films by Wes Anderson, Alice Rohrwacher, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Todd Haynes and Wim Wenders will compete for the Cannes Film Festival鈥檚 coveted top honor, the Palme d鈥橭r, as will a record number of films directed by women.
Cannes artistic director Thierry Fr茅maux and president Iris Knobloch, who took over the post last year from Pierre Lescure, announced a lineup heavy on big-name international auteurs, along with some new faces, in
Among the 19 films selected for Cannes鈥� prestigious competition slate are Anderson鈥檚 sci-fi homage Wenders鈥� 鈥淧erfect Days鈥�; Kor-eda鈥檚 鈥淢onster鈥�; Alice Rohrwacher鈥檚 鈥淟a Chimera"; and Haynes鈥� 鈥淢ay December,鈥� a romance with Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. Ken Loach, long a Cannes regular, will return with 鈥淭he Old Oak.鈥� Jonathan Glazer will premiere his first feature since 2013's with his Martin Amis adaptation 鈥淶one of Interest.鈥澛�
After a scaled-down 2021 event and a comeback festival in 2022, this year's Cannes finds the festival back on level ground and its organizers triumphant that their mission 鈥� celebrating the best in world cinema as an inherently theatrical experience 鈥� has persevered.聽
鈥淭he films are back in theaters and the public is back in theaters,鈥� said Knobloch. 鈥淭he moviemakers, the artists, the professionals are all in agreement. Nothing can replace the cultural event represented by a release in a theater for a movie.鈥澛�
Joining Rohrwacher, the Italian director of 鈥淗appy as Lazzaro,鈥� in competition are five more female directors: France鈥檚 Catherine Breillat with 鈥淟ast Summer鈥�; Austria鈥檚 Jessica Hausner with 鈥淐lub Zero鈥�; France鈥檚 Justine Triet鈥檚 鈥淎natomy of a Fall鈥�; Senegalese-French director Ramata-Toulaye Sy with 鈥淏anel & Adama鈥�; and Tunisia鈥檚 Kaouther Ben Hania with the documentary 鈥淥lfa鈥檚 Daughters.鈥�
Cannes has often come under criticism for selecting few films by women for its prestigious competition lineup. Only two female filmmakers have ever won the Palme d鈥橭r: Jane Campion in 1993 for 鈥淭he Piano鈥� and Julia Ducournau in 2021 for 鈥淭itane.鈥� While six out of 19 films is a new high, it still falls below the parity
Several of Cannes鈥� splashiest premieres had already been announced. , along with a special tribute to Harrison Ford, as will Martin Scorsese鈥檚 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon,鈥� his big-budget adaptation for Apple of David Grann鈥檚 non-fiction bestseller. Fremaux said he urged Scorsese to screen 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon鈥� in competition at the festival, but it isn't currently scheduled to compete for the Palme.聽
On Tuesday, Cannes said that the Pedro Almod贸var short 鈥淪trange Way of Life,鈥� with Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke, will also premiere at the festival.
Not in competition for the Palme is Quebec filmmaker Monia Chokri's "Simple Comme Sylvain," which will play as part of the festival's Un Certain Regard program. That lineup is focused on auteur and discovery cinema.
Cannes gets underway May 16 with starring Johnny Depp as King Louis XV. The film, directed by and co-starring the French actress and filmmaker Ma茂wenn, has been billed as Depp鈥檚 comeback film following his explosive trial last year with Amber Heard, his ex-wife. The festival runs through May 27.
The much-anticipated HBO series 鈥淭he Idol鈥�, from 鈥淓uphoria鈥� creator Sam Levinson and starring Toronto-raised the Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp, will also debut in Cannes. Steve McQueen, the director of 鈥�12 Years a Slave鈥� and the film anthology 鈥淪mall Axe,鈥� will present his 鈥淥ccupied City," a documentary about Amsterdam under Nazi occupation during World War II.聽
The jury that will decide the Palme d鈥橭r will this year be led by the Swedish filmmaker Ruben 脰stlund, a two-time Palme winner. After winning Cannes top honor for 2017鈥檚 鈥淭he Square,鈥� 脰stlund won last year for the social satire 鈥淭riangle of Sadness.鈥�
Cannes is coming off a movie year that has reinforced the French festival鈥檚 position as arguably the premiere international launching pad for film. Three of this year鈥檚 best-picture nominees at the Oscars premiered in Cannes: 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick,鈥� 鈥淓lvis鈥� and 鈥淭riangle of Sadness.鈥�
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
