Screen profiles all the films in the Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection and parallel sections.

Cannes 2023 lowdown update

Source: Cannes Film Festival / Monster Film Committee / Films Boutique / The Match Factory

[Clockwise L-R:] ‘Tiger Stripes’, ‘Banel & Adama’, ‘Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny’, ‘The Sweet East’, ‘Monster’, ‘La Chimera’

The 2022 Cannes Film Festival was the first since 2019 that was both a fully physical event, and one held in the traditional May slot — essentially turning the page on the pandemic, and back to business as usual.

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Ruben Östlund’s Triangle Of Sadness scooped the Palme d’Or from Vincent Lindon’s jury — helping set the film on its journey to three Oscar nominations for best picture, director and original screenplay. Fellow best picture nominee Elvis also launched on the Croisette last year, as did a raft of entries that went on to dominate the international feature film Oscar shortlist, including eventual nominees Close and EO.

This year’s Official Selection is heavy on big-name auteurs including former double Palme d’Or winner Ken Loach (who won for I, Daniel Blake and The Wind That Shakes The Barley) as well as Wim Wenders, Nanni Moretti, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Nuri Bilge Ceylan — who respectively scooped Cannes’ top prize for Paris,Texas, The Son’s Room, Shoplifters and Winter Sleep. These past winners will compete against mainstream names such as Wes Anderson and Todd Haynes, as well as major festival talents including Alice Rohrwacher, Jessica Hausner and Catherine Breillat. Seven of the 21 Competition titles are directed by women so, since this is an all-time record for Cannes, we note the gradual progress being made towards gender parity.

This year’s red carpet will capture global attention — the Out of Competition programme alone promises the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford, Johnny Depp, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and The Weeknd — assuming they are all available to step up for the cameras.

Anderson’s Asteroid City and Karim Aïnouz’s historical drama Firebrand lead the A-list actor charge among Competition titles, with the likes of Margot Robbie and Scarlett Johansson in the former, and Alicia Vikander and Jude Law in the latter — and Haynes’ May December brings Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore to the party. Cate Blanchett produces and appears in Warwick Thornton’s The New Boy, selected for Un Certain Regard.

Despite the number of veteran auteurs in Competition, Cannes delegate general Thierry Frémaux insists this is “a festival of discovery”. Cannes newcomers include French-Senegalese filmmaker Ramata-Toulaye Sy (the sole debut feature director vying for the Palme d’Or, with her Banel & Adama) and also — surprisingly a Cannes virgin —Jonathan Glazer, who brings Holocaust drama The Zone Of Interest. Below, we preview these and the 98 other titles selected for the main sections of Cannes — our essential guide for festival attendees and non-attendees alike.

Click on the links to each section for the profiles.

Competition

Out of Competition

Cannes Premiere

Un Certain Regard

Midnight Screenings

Special Screenings

Directors’ Fortnight

Critics’ Week

Profiles by Nikki Baughan, Ellie Calnan, Dani Clarke, Ben Dalton, Tim Dams, Charles Gant, Elaine Guerini, Jeremy Kay, Rebecca Leffler, Wendy Mitchell, Jean Noh, Jonathan Romney, Michael Rosser, Mona Tabbara, Silvia Wong

Read more: Indie buyers head to Cannes buoyed by optimism around theatrical

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