Cannes 2025: The Complete Selection. Titans, Newcomers, and What It All Means.

Cannes, France – The murmur on the Riviera grows. The 78th Cannes Film Festival (Festival de Cannes), a pillar of world cinema, has unfurled its Official Selection for 2025. Here, careers are made, legends are cemented, and the trajectory of film for the year ahead often takes shape. Hopefuls and seasoned masters present their truths, their fictions, their visions, all vying for the keen eye of the jury and the ultimate prize: the Palme d’Or.

This isn’t just a list. It’s a forecast. A battleground. For those keen on festival news and the pulse of cinema, this is where the heart beats strongest. Below, find not only the complete lineup but also answers to common questions about this storied festival.

Understanding Cannes: Key Questions Answered Before the List of 2025 Selection

Before diving into the films, let’s clarify a few things about this prestigious event for both seasoned cinephiles and curious newcomers.

Where is the Cannes Film Festival held? 

The Cannes Film Festival is held in Cannes, a resort town on the French Riviera (Côte d’Azur) in the south of France. The main venue for screenings and events is the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, located on the famous Promenade de la Croisette.

When did the Cannes Film Festival start? 

The festival’s first edition was held from September 20 to October 5, 1946. It was originally planned for 1939 as an alternative to the Venice Film Festival (which was then under fascist influence), but the outbreak of World War II postponed its debut.

How does the Cannes Film Festival work? 

The festival is a complex, multi-faceted event. At its core:

• Official Selection: This is the main program, curated by the festival’s artistic director and selection committee. It includes various sections:
  • In Competition: Feature films competing for the Palme d’Or and other major awards (Grand Prix, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Jury Prize, Best Screenplay).
  • Un Certain Regard: Focuses on films with unique visions and styles, often from emerging filmmakers.
  • Out of Competition: Gala screenings of significant films not competing for the Palme d’Or.
  • Midnight Screenings: Genre films, often with a cult following.
  • Cannes Premiere: New works from established filmmakers.
  • Special Screenings: Films with a particular message or subject.
  • Short Films: A separate competition for short films.
  • La Cinef: A selection of student films from around the world.
• Juries: Separate international juries, composed of filmmakers, actors, critics, and other artists, judge the films in the Competition, Un Certain Regard, Short Film, and La Cinef sections.
• Marché du Film: Alongside the festival, Cannes hosts one of the largest film markets in the world, where industry professionals buy and sell film rights, negotiate deals, and network.

Which movies won Cannes 2025? 

The winners of the Cannes Film Festival 2025, including the prestigious Palme d’Or, will be announced at the festival’s closing ceremony in May 2025. This article details the list of films that made it to the list of Cannes 2025 Selections to compete and be shown. Stay tuned to CineCinnati for updates on the award winners once they are revealed!

Now, The List of Cannes Selection 2025

In Competition: The Main Arena

The big prize. The Palme d’Or. These are the films that will define the conversation. Twenty-two entries. Each, a world. Expect in-depth critics’ reviews as the festival approaches.

• AFFEKSJONSVERDI (SENTIMENTAL VALUE) by Joachim TRIER
• ALPHA by Julia DUCOURNAU
• DIE MY LOVE by Lynne RAMSAY
• DOSSIER 137 (CASE 137) by Dominik MOLL
• EAGLES OF THE REPUBLIC by Tarik SALEH
• EDDINGTON by Ari ASTER
• FUORI by Mario MARTONE
• JEUNES MÈRES by Jean-Pierre DARDENNE, Luc DARDENNE
• KUANG YE SHI DAI (RESURRECTION) by BI Gan
• LA PETITE DERNIÈRE by Hafsia HERZI
• NOUVELLE VAGUE (NEW WAVE) by Richard LINKLATER
• O AGENTE SECRETO (THE SECRET AGENT) by Kleber MENDONÇA FILHO
• RENOIR by HAYAKAWA Chie
• ROMERÍA (ROMERIA) by Carla SIMÓN
• SIRÂT by Oliver LAXE
• SOUND OF FALLING (IN DIE SONNE SCHAUEN) by Mascha SCHILINSKI
• THE HISTORY OF SOUND by Oliver HERMANUS
• THE MASTERMIND by Kelly REICHARDT
• THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME by Wes ANDERSON
• TWO PROSECUTORS by Sergei LOZNITSA
• UN SIMPLE ACCIDENT by Jafar PANAHI
• ZAN O BACHEH (WOMAN AND CHILD) by Saeed ROUSTAEE

Un Certain Regard: A Different Gaze

Original visions. Daring narratives. This section looks for the new, the bold.

• AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY by Morad MOSTAFA
• ELEANOR THE GREAT by Scarlett JOHANSSON
• HOMEBOUND by Neeraj GHAYWAN
• KARAVAN (CARAVAN) by Zuzana KIRCHNEROVÁ
• L’INCONNU DE LA GRANDE ARCHE (THE GREAT ARCH) by Stéphane DEMOUSTIER
• LA MISTERIOSA MIRADA DEL FLAMENCO (THE MYSTERIOUS GAZE OF THE FLAMINGO) by Diego CÉSPEDES
• LE CITTÀ DI PIANURA (THE LAST ONE FOR THE ROAD) by Francesco SOSSAI
• LOVE ME TENDER by Anna CAZENAVE CAMBET
• MY FATHER’S SHADOW by Akinola DAVIES JR
• MÉTÉORS (METEORS ) by Hubert CHARUEL
• O RISO E A FACA (I ONLY REST IN THE STORM) by Pedro PINHO
• ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA by Arab NASSER, Tarzan NASSER
• PILLION by Harry LIGHTON
• PROMIS LE CIEL (PROMISED SKY) by Erige SEHIRI
• TESTA O CROCE? (HEADS OR TAILS?) by Matteo ZOPPIS, Alessio RIGO DE RIGHI
• THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER by Kristen STEWART
• THE PLAGUE by Charlie POLINGER
• TÔI YAMANAMINO HIKARI (A PALE VIEW OF HILLS) by Kei ISHIKAWA
• UN POETA (A POET) by Simón MESA SOTO
• URCHIN by Harris DICKINSON

Out of Competition: Spectacle and Auteurs

Big names. Big screens. No contest, just cinema.

• 13 JOURS 13 NUITS (13 DAYS 13 NIGHTS) by Martin BOURBOULON
• DALLOWAY by Yann GOZLAN
• HONEY DON’T! by Ethan COEN
• LA FEMME LA PLUS RICHE DU MONDE (THE RICHEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD) by Thierry KLIFA
• LA VENUE DE L’AVENIR (COLOURS OF TIME) by Cédric KLAPISCH
• LE ROI SOLEIL by Vincent Maël CARDONA
• MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING by Christopher MCQUARRIE
• PARTIR UN JOUR (LEAVE ONE DAY) by Amélie BONNIN
• VIE PRIVÉE (A PRIVATE LIFE ) by Rebecca ZLOTOWSKI

Midnight Screenings: The Edge of Night

For those who like their cinema after dark. Genre, thrills, the unexpected.

• EXIT 8 by KAWAMURA Genki
• FENG LIN HUO SHAN (SONS OF THE NEON NIGHT) by Juno MAK
• HIGHEST 2 LOWEST by Spike LEE

Cannes Premiere: Fresh Statements

New works from established talents. A mark of distinction.

• AMRUM by Fatih AKIN
• CONNEMARA by Alex LUTZ
• DAS VERSCHWINDEN DES JOSEF MENGELE (THE DISAPPEARANCE OF JOSEF MENGELE) by Kirill SEREBRENNIKOV
• LA OLA (THE WAVE) by Sebastián LELIO
• MA FRÈRE by Lise AKOKA, Romane GUERET
• MAGALHÃES (MAGELLAN) by Lav DIAZ
• ORWELL : 2+2=5 by Raoul PECK
• RENAI SAIBAN (LOVE ON TRIAL) by Koji FUKADA
• SPLITSVILLE by Michael Angelo COVINO
• ÁSTIN SEM EFTIR ER (THE LOVE THAT REMAINS) by Hlynur PÁLMASON

Special Screenings: Unique Voices, Singular Films

Films that stand alone. Important stories told.

• AMÉLIE ET LA MÉTAPHYSIQUE DES TUBES (LITTLE AMÉLIE) by Mailys VALLADE, Liane-Cho HAN
• ARCO by Ugo BIENVENU
• BONO: STORIES OF SURRENDER by Andrew DOMINIK
• DITES-LUI QUE JE L’AIME (TELL HER I LOVE HER) by Romane BOHRINGER
• L’HOMME QUI A VU L’OURS QUI A VU L’HOMME by Pierre RICHARD
• MAMA by Or SINAI
• MARCEL ET MONSIEUR PAGNOL (A MAGNIFICENT LIFE) by Sylvain CHOMET
• QUI BRILLE AU COMBAT (THE WONDERERS) by Joséphine JAPY
• THE SIX BILLION DOLLAR MAN by Eugene JARECKI

In Competition – Short Films Picked Among the Cannes 2025 Selection

Concise power. Talent distilled.

• A SOLIDÃO DOS LAGARTOS (THE LONELINESS OF LIZARDS) by Inês NUNES
• AASVOËLS (VULTURES) by Dian WEYS
• AGAPITO by Arvin BELARMINO, Kyla Danelle ROMERO
• ALI by Adnan AL RAJEEV
• ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF LOVE by Gabriel ABRANTES
• DAMMEN by Grégoire GRAESSLIN
• FILLE DE L’EAU by Sandra DESMAZIÈRES
• HYPERSENSIBLE (HYPERSENSITIVE) by Martine FROSSARD
• I’M GLAD YOU’RE DEAD NOW by Tawfeek BARHOM
• NVHAI (LILI) by Zhaoguang LUO, Shuhan LIAO
• THE SPECTACLE by Bálint KENYERES

La Cinef: The Next Generation

Film schools from around the globe. The raw talent.

• 12 MOMENTS BEFORE THE FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY by QU Zhizheng
• A DOLL MADE UP OF CLAY by Kokob Gebrehaweria TESFAY
• BIMO by Oumnia HANADER
• ETHER by Vida SKERK
• FIRST SUMMER by HEO Gayoung
• FURSECURI SI LAPTE (MILK AND COOKIES) by Andrei TACHE-CODREANU
• GINGER BOY (SEPARATED) by Miki TANAKA
• LE CONTINENT SOMNAMBULE (THE LAND OF SLUMBER) by Jules VÉSIGOT-WAHL
• MATALAPAINE (THE LIGHTNING ROD ) by Helmi DONNER
• MY GRANDMOTHER IS A SKYDIVER by Polina PIDDUBNA
• MÅSKE I MARTS (MAYBE IN MARCH) by Mikkel Bjørn KEHLERT
• O PÁSSARO DE DENTRO (THE BIRD FROM WITHIN) by Laura ANAHORY
• PER BRUIXA I METZINERA (THE SORCERESS ECHO) by Marc CAMARDONS
• TALK ME by Joecar HANNA
• TRES (THREE) by Juan Ignacio CEBALLOS
• WINTER IN MARCH by Natalia MIRZOYAN

Cannes Classics: The Enduring Image

Restored prints. Tributes. Documentaries on cinema. The past lives. This year sees works from Iñárritu, Kubrick, Ray, Woo, and many more masters. The heritage is secure.

• AMORES PERROS (LOVE’S A BITCH) by Alejandro González IÑÁRRITU (Restored prints)
• ARANYER DIN RATRI (DAYS AND NIGHTS IN THE FOREST) by Satyajit RAY (Restored prints)
• BARRY LYNDON by Stanley KUBRICK (Restored prints)
• COMANCHE TERRITORY by George SHERMAN (Tribute)
• DAVID LYNCH, UNE ÉNIGME À HOLLYWOOD (WELCOME TO LYNCHLAND) by Stéphane GHEZ (Documentaries about Cinema)
• DIS PAS DE BÊTISES (WATCH WHAT YOU SAY) by Vincent GLENN (Documentaries about Cinema)
• DOGMA by Kevin SMITH (Restored prints)
• GEHENU LAMAI (THE GIRLS) by Sumitra PERIES (Restored prints)
• HARD BOILED by John WOO (Restored prints)
• I HUVUDET PÅ BO (BEING BO WIDERBERG) by Jon ASP, Mattias NOHRBORG (Documentaries about Cinema)
• I LOVE PERU by Raphaël QUENARD, Hugo DAVID (Documentaries about Cinema)
• LA COURSE EN TÊTE by Joël SANTONI (Restored prints)
• LA PAGA by Ciro DURÁN (Restored prints)
• MAGIRAMA by Abel GANCE (Restored prints)
• MERLUSSE by Marcel PAGNOL (Restored prints)
• MOI QUI T’AIMAIS by Diane KURYS (Tribute)
• MY MOM JAYNE: A FILM BY MARISKA HARGITAY by Mariska HARGITAY (Documentaries about Cinema)
• MÁS ALLÁ DEL OLVIDO (BEYOND OBLIVION) by Hugo DEL CARRIL (Restored prints)
• ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (VOL AU-DESSUS D’UN NID DE COUCOU) by Miloš FORMAN (Restored prints)
• PARA VIGO ME VOY! (TO VIGO I GO!) by Lírio FERREIRA, Karen HARLEY (Documentaries about Cinema)
• RED CANYON by George SHERMAN (Tribute)
• SAÏD EFFENDI (SAEED EFFENDI) by Kameran HOSNI (Restored prints)
• SLAUSON REC by Leo Lewis O’NEIL (Documentaries about Cinema)
• STERNE (STARS) by Konrad WOLF (Restored prints)
• SUNSHINE by Istvan SZABO (Restored prints)
• THE ARCH by T’ANG Shushuen (Restored prints)
• THE GOLD RUSH by Charlie CHAPLIN (Restored prints)
• UKIGUMO (FLOATING CLOUDS) by Mikio NARUSE (Restored prints)
• WAQAI SININ AL-DJAMR (CHRONICLE OF THE YEARS OF EMBERS) by Mohamed LAKHDAR HAMINA (Tribute)
• YI YI (YI YI – A ONE AND A TWO) by Edward YANG (Restored prints)

Cinéma de la Plage: Under the Stars

Films on the beach. For the love of the picture. Classics and documentaries shared with all.

• A HIDDEN LIFE by Terrence MALICK (Restored prints)
• ANGE by Tony GATLIF
• BARDOT by Alain BERLINER (Documentaries about Cinema)
• DARLING by John SCHLESINGER (Restored prints)
• DUEL IN THE SUN by King VIDOR (Restored prints)
• HARD BOILED by John WOO
• LA LÉGENDE DE LA PALME D’OR CONTINUE… (THE LEGEND OF THE PALME D’OR CONTINUES…) by Alexis VELLER (Documentaries about Cinema)
• LES MAUVAIS COUPS (NAKED AUTUMN) by François LETERRIER (Restored prints)
• MÉLODIE EN SOUS-SOL (ANY NUMBER CAN WIN) by Henri VERNEUIL (Restored prints)
• PALOMBELLA ROSSA (RED WOOD PIGEON) by Nanni MORETTI (Restored prints)
• SUNSET BOULEVARD by Billy WILDER (Restored prints)
• TENSHI NO TAMAGO (ANGEL’S EGG) by Mamoru OSHII (Restored prints)

Beyond the list of Cannes Selection 2025, I am sure you are dying to know about the winners as they’re announced. So, Subscribe to CineCinnati and receive in-depth coverage of Cannes straight to your e-mails!