Written by Kianna Best on May 12, 2025. Posted in Awards and Festivals

Curtains Up in Cannes: Setting the Stage for the 2025 Film Festival

The 78th Cannes Film Festival, taking place from 13 to 24 May, 2025, is set to be a landmark event in the global film industry, blending cinematic artistry with dynamic industry engagement. With a lineup featuring both established auteurs and emerging talents, the festival promises to be a hub for premieres, networking, and discussions shaping the future of cinema.

As the Côte d’Azur awakens to a wave of international stars, producers, and cinephiles, the 78th Cannes Film Festival kicks off with its trademark blend of red carpet glamour and powerhouse industry programming. But the focus is not just on film premieres, but on the people and places that make production happen.

Official Selection: Big Names, Bold Visions

The heartbeat of Cannes is its Official Competition, where 21 films—culled from nearly 3,000 submissions—will vie for the coveted Palme d’Or.

Among the most anticipated films, Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme promises stylised intrigue and visual wit, Julia Ducournau, following her Palme-winning Titane, returns with Alpha, a visceral sci-fi thriller, Ari Aster is back with Eddington, a sprawling, surreal drama featuring Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague is a heartfelt tribute to 1960s French cinema through a modern American lens, and many more.

Meanwhile, out-of-competition titles deliver Hollywood spectacle. Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is poised to ignite Croisette buzz, while Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, starring Denzel Washington, explores themes of wealth, identity, and power with Lee’s signature intensity.

 

The Marché du Film: Where Cinema Meets Commerce

As always, the Marché du Film—one of the world’s largest film markets—will be a cornerstone for producers, commissioners, and location specialists. Celebrating its 65th edition, the Marché introduces a number of new initiatives to support sustainability, virtual production, and inclusive storytelling.

This year, The Location Guide and FOCUS are spotlighting production ecosystems, hosting meetups with film commissions and location professionals from around the globe. Their involvement underscores the importance of cross-border collaboration, especially as streaming platforms and studios increasingly seek authentic, cost-effective international settings.

One standout gathering is the AFCI’s Global Film Commission Network Summit (17–19 May), marking its 50th anniversary. The summit will explore best practices in location incentive programs and how destinations can adapt to evolving production demands.

 

Workshops, Panels, and Tech: Building Cinema's Future

Knowledge-sharing is in full swing with a series of industry panels and immersive workshops. On 18 May, director Blake Ridder leads a highly anticipated session on independent film funding, navigating co-productions, and making meaningful connections at markets like Cannes.

Elsewhere, techCannes, the festival’s innovation showcase (17 May), explores how emerging technologies like AI, virtual production, and immersive storytelling are revolutionising filmmaking. Expect presentations from XR pioneers and digital creatives, sparking conversations on what the next frontier of storytelling looks like.

The Cannes Docs initiative returns with a slate of curated pitching sessions, giving documentary filmmakers direct access to commissioners and global distributors.

Looking Ahead: A Time for Reflection and Renewal

As the lights dim and the reels start to roll, Cannes remains a key player inthe global film community—part red carpet spectacle, part strategic battleground. From auteur-driven indies to blockbuster tentpoles, from rural film commissions to AI-driven workflow panels, the Cannes Film Festival 2025 is more than an event—it’s a reflection of where the industry is headed.

With countless networking breakfasts, beachside mixers, and invitation-only soirées filling up delegate diaries, professionals from every corner of the production landscape are converging not just to celebrate, but to connect, pitch, and build the future of film together.

And for those lucky enough to be in Cannes this May? The stories aren’t just on screen—they’re being written at every table, café, and panel room lining the Croisette. Come and meet the team behind FOCUS, makers and The Location Guide at the beach backdropped La Plage du Festival, and pick up the latest edition of makers magazine too! We look forward to seeing you there.

Images courtesy of Festival de Cannes