CANNES, France (AP) 鈥� The opens Tuesday with expectations running high for what could be a banner edition.
All of the ingredients 鈥� an absurd number of stars, top-tier filmmakers, political intrigue 鈥� seem to be lined up for . Over the next 12 days, Cannes will play host to megawatt premieres including those of 鈥淢ission: Impossible 鈥� The Final Recoking,鈥� Spike Lee鈥檚 鈥淗ighest 2 Lowest鈥� and Ari Aster鈥檚 鈥淓ddington.鈥�
Things get underway Tuesday with the unveiling of Juliette Binoche鈥檚 jury, a three-film tribute to Ukraine and the opening night film, Am茅lie Bonnin鈥檚 French romance 鈥淟eave One Day.鈥� At the festival鈥檚 opening ceremony, , 49 years after 鈥淭axi Driver鈥� won Cannes' top prize.
Cannes is coming off a 2024 festival that produced a number of eventual Oscar contenders, including 鈥淓milia Perez,鈥� 鈥淭he Substance,鈥� 鈥淔low鈥� and Asked if he's feeling the pressure this time around, festival director Thierry Fr茅maux said the only kind of pressure he believes in is in beer. (Beer on tap in France is "bi猫re 脿 la pression.")
鈥淚ndeed last year was a beautiful year,鈥� Fr茅maux said Monday. 鈥淏ut at the very time when I was with (journalists) as the festival started, we didn鈥檛 know if it was going to be a good year or not.鈥�
This year鈥檚 Cannes Film Festival, the premier international cinematic gathering, is unspooling following U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 . While Fremaux expressed sympathy to the cause of strengthening local movie production, he said it was too soon to comment on the still-unformed plans.
鈥淚t鈥檚 far too early in the game,鈥� said Fremaux. 鈥淏ut if I say one thing here at the Cannes Film Festival, we wouldn鈥檛 want the American cinema to cease to be strong. And right now, it鈥檚 very strong.鈥�
Cannes will follow up Tuesday鈥檚 festivities with the return Wednesday of Tom Cruise to Cannes. Three years after he brought 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥� to the festival,
Twenty-two films will vie for Cannes鈥� top prize, the Palme d鈥橭r. Those films include Wes Anderson鈥檚 鈥淭he Phoenician Scheme,鈥� Richard Linklater鈥檚 鈥淣ouvelle Vague,鈥� Lynne Ramsay鈥檚 鈥淒ie, My Love,鈥� Joachim Trier鈥檚 鈥淪entimental Value,鈥� Kelly Reichardt鈥檚 鈥淭he Mastermind,鈥� Oliver Hermanus鈥� 鈥淭he History of Sound,鈥� Julia Ducournau鈥檚 鈥淎lpha鈥� and Jafar Panahi鈥檚 鈥淎 Simple Accident.鈥�
Binoche will be leading the jury that picks the Palme d鈥橭r winner, along with jurors including Halle Berry and Jeremy Strong. The festival closes May 24.
Cannes is kicking off the same day G茅rard Depardieu, is to receive a verdict in a closely watched sexual assault case. Depardieu, 76, has been accused of groping two women on the set of the 2022 film 鈥淟es Volets Verts.鈥�
In Cannes鈥� Un Certain Regard section, three prominent actors are making their directorial debuts: Harris Dickinson (鈥淯rchin鈥�), Kristen Stewart (鈥淭he Chronology of Water鈥�) and Scarlett Johansson (鈥淓leanor the Great鈥�).
Geopolitics are likely to play a starring role at Cannes, which is beginning by screening three 2025 Ukraine documentaries: 鈥淶elensky,鈥� Bernard-Henri L茅vy鈥檚 鈥淣otre Guerre鈥� and The Associated Press-Frontline coproduction by 鈥�20 Days in Mariupol鈥� Oscar-winner Mstyslav Chernov.
鈥淭his 鈥楿kraine Day鈥� is a reminder of the commitment of artists, authors and journalists to tell the story of this conflict in the heart of Europe,鈥� the festival said in a statement.
Cannes will also celebrate its opening by turning to an old favorite. A restoration of Charlie Chaplin's 鈥淭he Gold Rush鈥� is to debut Tuesday, timed to the film's centenary.
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
