The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival which will take place from May 13 to 24, 2025 promises to be dense and exciting. While the official selection attracts as every year all the eyes, the parallel sections – the fifteen of filmmakers, the week of criticism and acid – continue their essential mission: that of bringing out new, free and often more daring looks. Unfortunately, this year only two Arab films are selected.
As Thierry Frémaux announced at the press conference of April 11, for the artistic committee examined more than 2,900 feature films to choose the films in official selection, a sign of global production in constant inflation. Same dynamism on the side of the parallel sections.
At the fifteen of filmmakers, Julien Rejl had to choose 18 films from more than 1,600 proposals. Almost half are first feature films, proof of a real commitment to renew the voices.
At the criticism week, Ava Cahen and his team saw 2,340 films to remember only 7 in competition, with 4 special sessions. Notable fact: 6 films are made by women, which contrasts with a generally less joint edition.
As for ACID, faithful to its identity, it supports works without a distributor, often on the fringes, but always singular and necessary.
Two Arab films not to be missed
Life after Sihamis signed by the Egyptian director Namir Abdel Messeeh. Screened in the ACID section, this intimate film explores the limbo of mourning, memory and parentage. The disappearance of his mother, Siham, pushes Namir to undertake a quest between Egypt and France, to recompose the fragments of a family history marked by exile. The shadow of Youssef Chahine hovers on this cinematographic journey which mixes sweetness, pain and humor, in a deeply personal documentary approach. Those who remember The Virgin, the Copts and Ihis first film crowned from the Tanit d’Argent in Carthage, hope to find here the same lucid sensitivity, anchored in a child’s look that has become an adult.
The President’s Cake,, Coming from Iraq and selected at the fortnight of filmmakers. Directed by Hasan Hadiof which this is the first feature film, The President’s Cake takes us into the oppressive universe of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Through the gaze of the young Lamia, forced to prepare a cake for the anniversary of the dictator under the implicit threat of reprisals, the film draws a fresco both political and poetic, anchored in the marshes of the South Iraqi. Between the tenderness of a relationship with his grandmother and the violence of a system where even children must be cunning to survive, Hasan Hadi offers a work that is both delicate and overwhelming. This realistic tale, where the figure of the Hindi rooster becomes the companion of innocence, offers Cannes a rare dive in a little explored part of Arab cinema.
A French -speaking opening on all fronts
Another peculiarity this year: all parallel sections open with French -speaking films.
– ACID begins with theAdventure by Sophie Lettourneur, offbeat comedy on marital life.
– The fifteen of filmmakers begins with Enzo From Robin Campillo, a project initially carried by Laurent Cantet.
– Critics’ week highlights Adam’s interest From the Belgian filmmaker Laura Wandel, whose first feature film a world, had been selected in the Un certain Look section in 2021 and won the Fipresci Prize.
Selections 2025: the full list by section
- Fifteen filmmakers:
– Enzo by Laurent Cantet / Robin Campillo (opening film)
– Fox dance from Valéry Carnoy
– Death does not exist by Felix Dufour-Laperrière
– The swallowed by Louise Hémon
– Kokuho lee blood he
– Lucky Lu Lloyd Lee Choi
– Militantropos by Alina Gorlova, Yelizaveta Smith, Simon Mozgovyi
– Girl on edge by Jinghao Zhou
– Middle class of Antony Cordier
– Mirrors n ° 3 by Christian Petzold
– Girls Désir of prïncia car
– Dangerous animals from Sean Byrne
– Apocalypse love Anne Émonde
– The President’s Cake from Hasan Hadi 🇮🇶
– Indomitable of Thomas NGIJOL
– Brand New Landscape from Yuiga Danzuka
– May my will be done by Julia Kowalski
– Sorry, baby of Eva Victor (closing film)
– The Aventura by Sophie Letourneur
– The black snake of Aurélien Vernhes-Lermusiaux
– Drunken Noodles from Lucio Castro
– Entroncamento of Pedro Cabeleira
– Laurent in the wind by Anton Balekdjian, Léo Couture, Mattéo Eustachon
– A light that never goes out of Lauri-Matti by fig
– Obscure night – Ain’t i a child? from Sylvain George
– Put your soul on your hand and walk of septusi
– Life after Siham by Namir Abdel Messeeh 🇪🇬
- Critics’ week:
– Adam’s interest by Laura Wandel (opening film)
– Planets (Dandelion’s Odyssey) by Momoko Seto (fence film)
– Ciudad Sin Sueño (Sleepless City) by Guillermo Galoe
– Imago Deni Oumar Pitsaev
– Kika of Alex Poukine
-Left-Handed Girl Shih-Christ tsou
– Nino by Pauline Loquès
– Pee chai dai ka (a useful ghost) RATCHAPOM BOONBUNCHACHOKE
– Rietland (Reedland) of Sven Bresser
– Fuck by Martin Jauvat (special session)
– Love evidence (Love Letters) Alice Douard (special session)
Neïla Driss
