I always go to the Cannes Film Festival and it’s just such a glamorous time.
– Georgina Chapman
The Cannes Film Festival of 2023 is set to showcase an array of highly anticipated films from around the world. This prestigious event will provide a platform for both established and emerging filmmakers to present their latest cinematic creations. From thought-provoking dramas to captivating comedies, the lineup promises to captivate audiences with its diverse storytelling and artistic vision. These films, carefully selected by the festival’s curators, will explore a wide range of themes and genres, offering a glimpse into the rich tapestry of global cinema. As filmmakers, actors, and film enthusiasts gather in Cannes, the stage is set for an exciting celebration of creativity and the magic of the silver screen.
JEANNE DU BARRY
by MAÏWENN :
Jeanne du Barry, a biographical drama film released in 2023, tells the story of Madame du Barry, who skillfully uses her intelligence and charm to rise in society. Directed, written, and produced by Maïwenn, the film stars Maïwenn herself and Johnny Depp in the leading roles, alongside a talented cast including Pierre Richard, Benjamin Lavernhe, Noémie Lvovsky, Pascal Greggory, Melvil Poupaud, and India Hair. The plot revolves around Du Barry’s relationship with King Louis XV, their forbidden love, and her scandalous arrival at Versailles. With a budget of $22.4 million, Jeanne du Barry is one of the most expensive French films of 2022 and is a co-production between France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. The film premiered as the opening film at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and was theatrically released in France on the same day, with a subsequent streaming release on Netflix after 15 months.
Plot: Jeanne, a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, uses her intelligence and allure to climb the rungs of the social ladder one by one. She becomes the favourite of King Louis XV who, unaware of her status as a courtesan, regains through her his appetite for life. They fall madly in love and, against all propriety and etiquette, Jeanne moves to Versailles, where her arrival scandalizes the court.
CLUB ZERO
by Jessica HAUSNER:
Club Zero is an upcoming international co-production drama thriller film directed and produced by Jessica Hausner, based on a script by Hausner and Géraldine Bajard. It stars Mia Wasikowska, Mathieu Demy, Elsa Zylberstein, Amir El-Masry, and Sidse Babett Knudsen.
On May 22, 2023, it will make its global premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
Plot: A teacher at an elite school forms a bond with five students, which takes a shocking turn.
KUOLLEET LEHDET
by Aki KAURISMAKI
(FALLEN LEAVES):
Fallen Leaves (Finnish: Kuolleet lehdet, lit. ‘Dead Leaves’) is an Aki Kaurismäki comedy-drama film released in 2023. It is Kaurismäki’s 20th feature film and the fourth instalment of his Proletariat Trilogy, which also includes Shadows in Paradise (1986), Ariel (1988), and The Match Factory Girl (1990).[3] The major characters are played by Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen. Sputnik produced the picture, which was distributed by B-Plan Distribution.
The film has been chosen to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, which will take place on May 22, 2023.
Plot: Ansa is single and lives in Helsinki. She works on a zero-hour contract in a supermarket, stocking the shelves; later she sorts recyclable plastic. One night she accidentally meets the equally lonely worker Holappa, an alcoholic. Against all odds and misunderstandings, they try to build a relationship. As a result, Holappa manages to get his alcohol addiction under control. The film is described as a tragicomedy.
LES FILLES D’OLFA
by Kaouther BEN HANIA
(Four Daughters):
Four Daughters (Arabic:بنات ألفة, French: Les Filles d’Olfa) is an Arabic-language documentary film directed by Kaouther Ben Hania that was released in 2023. Following the disappearance of two daughters of a Tunisian woman, the filmmaker asks professional actors to compensate for the loss. The film is a collaboration between France, Tunisia, Germany, and Saudi Arabia.
The film has been chosen to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it will be shown on May 19, 2023.
Plot: Tunisian Olfa is the mother of four daughters. One day her two older daughters disappear. To fill the void left, film director Kaouther Ben Hania invites professional actresses and brings the viewer closer to the life stories of Olfa and her daughters. The film mixes documentary and fiction.
ASTEROID CITY
by Wes ANDERSON:
Asteroid City, a forthcoming American film, combines elements of science fiction, romance, comedy, and drama. Directed and co-produced by Wes Anderson, the screenplay is written by Anderson based on a story he created alongside Roman Coppola. The narrative revolves around the significant events that unfold during the annual Junior Stargazer convention in 1955. The movie boasts a notable ensemble cast including Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, and many others. Premiering at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2023, Asteroid City will compete for the prestigious Palme d’Or award. It is scheduled for limited theatrical release on June 16, 2023, in the United States, followed by a wider release on June 23, 2023, through Focus Features.
Plot: In 1955, students and parents from across the country gather for scholarly competition, rest, recreation, comedy, drama, and romance at a Junior Stargazer convention held in a fictional American desert town
ANATOMIE D’UNE CHUTE
by Justine TRIET
(Anatomy of a Fall):
Anatomy of a Fall (French: Anatomie d’une chute) is a forthcoming French thriller film directed by Justine Triet and based on a script written by Triet and Arthur Harari. Sandra Hüller plays a writer attempting to prove her innocence in her husband’s death. The film will have its global premiere on May 21, 2023, at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it will compete for the Palme d’Or, and will be distributed theatrically in France on August 23, 2023, by Le Pacte.
Plot: Anatomy of a Fall (French: Anatomie d’une chute) is a forthcoming French thriller film directed by Justine Triet and based on a script written by Triet and Arthur Harari. Sandra Hüller plays a writer attempting to prove her innocence in her husband’s death. The film will have its global premiere on May 21, 2023, at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it will compete for the Palme d’Or, and will be distributed theatrically in France on August 23, 2023, by Le Pacte.
KAIBUTSU
by KORE-EDA Hirokazu
(MONSTER):
Monster (Japanese: 怪物, romanized: Kaibutsu) is a 2023 Japanese drama film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda from a script written by Yuji Sakamoto. It stars Sakura And as a mother who confronts a teacher after witnessing troubling changes in her son’s conduct. Kore-eda hasn’t directed a picture he didn’t write since Maborosi (1995).
Monster will have its global premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2023, when it will compete for the Palme d’Or. The film will be released in Japan on June 2, 2023.
Plot: When her young son Minato starts to behave strangely, his mother feels that there is something wrong. Discovering that a teacher is responsible, she storms into the school demanding to know what’s going on. But as the story unfolds through the eyes of mother, teacher and child, the truth gradually emerges.
IL SOL DELL’ AVVENIRE
by Nanni MORETTI
(A BRIGHTER TOMORROW):
A Brighter Tomorrow (Italian: Il sol dell’avvenire, lit. ‘The Sun of the Future’) is a 2023 Italian-language comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Nanni Moretti. It is a co-production between Italy and France.
The film was released in Italy on 20 April 2023. It was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it will be screened on 24 May 2023.
Plot: Giovanni is a director, and Paola is a producer. Giovanni shoots a film set in 1956, writes a film adaptation of John Cheever’s “The Swimmer” and imagines a film with many Italian songs.
L’ÉTÉ DERNIER
by Catherine BREILLAT
(LAST SUMMER):
Last Summer (French: L’Été dernier) is a forthcoming French sexual drama film directed by Catherine Breillat, based on a script written by Breillat and Pascal Bonitzer. It is a remake of the Danish film Queen of Hearts, which was released in 2019. The film, which stars Léa Drucker and Samuel Kircher, delves into the taboos of a stepmother-stepson relationship.
The film has been chosen to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it will be shown on May 25, 2023.
Plot: Anne is a respected lawyer who lives in Paris with her husband Pierre and their two young daughters. Théo, Pierre’s 17-year-old son from a previous marriage, moves in, and Anne eventually begins an affair with him. In doing so, she risks jeopardizing her career and losing her family. Théo is a fragile figure and, as time goes on, the relationship turns destructive
KURU OTLAR USTUNE
by Nuri Bilge CEYLAN
(ABOUT DRY GRASSES):
About Dry Grasses (Turkish: Kuru Otlar Üstüne) is an upcoming Turkish film directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan and co-written by Ceylan, Ebru Ceylan, and Akın Aksu. Starring Deniz Celiloğlu, Merve Dizdar and Musab Ekici, it follows a teacher working in rural eastern Anatolia with hopes of moving to Istanbul when he is accused of abusing a student. About Dry Grasses is scheduled to premiere in competition at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2023.
Plot: A young teacher hopes to be appointed to Istanbul after mandatory duty at a small village. After a long time waiting he loses all hope of escaping from this gloomy life. However, his colleague Nuray helps him to regain a perspective.
LA CHIMERA
by Alice ROHRWACHER:
La Chimera is an upcoming Italian-French-Swiss drama film directed by Alice Rohrwacher and starring Josh O’Connor and Isabella Rossellini.
The film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it is set to premiere on 26 May 2023.
Plot: A group of archaeologists and the black market of historical artefacts.
LA PASSION DE DODIN BOUFFANT
by TRAN ANH Hùng
(THE POT–AU–FEU):
The Pot-au-Feu (French: La Passion de Dodin Bouffant) is a new French historical romantic drama film directed by Tran Anh Hung and starring Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel. The film is set in 1885 and recounts a romance between a cook and the gourmet for whom she works. The Gourmet is based on Marcel Rouff’s novel La Vie et la Passion de Dodin-Bouffant, Gourmet (The Passionate Epicure).
The film has been chosen to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, which will take place on May 24, 2023.
Plot: It tells the story of Eugenie, an esteemed cook, and Dodin, the fine gourmet she has been working for over the last 20 years.
RAPITO
by Marco BELLOCCHIO
(KIDNAPPED):
Kidnapped (Italian: Rapito) is a 2023 Italian-language historical drama film co-written and directed by Marco Bellocchio about Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish child who was stolen from his family and educated as a Catholic by the Papal States. It is loosely based on the novel Il Caso Mortara by Daniele Scalise. It is the result of a collaboration between Italy, France, and Germany.
The film has been chosen to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, which will take place on May 23, 2023.
Plot: In 1858, in the Jewish quarter of Bologna, the Pope’s soldiers burst into the home of the Mortara family. On the order of the Cardinal, they have been sent to seize Edgardo, the family’s six-year-old son. According to the testimony of a former servant, the boy was secretly baptized when he fell ill as an infant. The Papal law is final: he must receive a Catholic education. His parents fight to see him again, supported by an increasingly intolerant public opinion towards the temporal power of the Church. But the Pope does not agree to return the child. As Edgardo grows up in the Catholic faith, the temporal power of the Church is waning and the unification of Italy begins
MAY DECEMBER
by Todd HAYNES:
May December is an upcoming American romantic drama film directed by Todd Haynes with a screenplay by Samy Burch from a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik. It follows an actress (Natalie Portman) who travels to Maine to study the life of a real-life woman (Julianne Moore) she is set to play in a film.
May December is set to premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2023.
Plot: Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple with a large age disparity buckles under the pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past
THE OLD OAK
by Ken LOACH:
The Old Oak is an upcoming film directed by Ken Loach on a screenplay by Paul Laverty. Loach has announced this will be his final film. The film will have its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival where it will compete for the Palme d’Or. It is a co-production between the United Kingdom, France and Belgium
Plot: A pub landlord TJ Bannatyne (Turner) in a previously thriving mining community in County Durham struggles to hold on to his pub and keep it as the one remaining public space people can meet in the town. Meanwhile, tensions rise in the town when Syrian refugees are placed there but Bannatyne strikes up a friendship with one of the refugees, Yara (Mari).
BANEL E ADAMA
by Ramata-Toulaye SY:
Banel & Adama (French: Banel et Adama) is a 2023 French-Malian-Senegalese romantic drama film directed by Senegalese screenwriter Ramata-Toulaye Sy in her feature film debut. It is scheduled to premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on 20 May 2023.
Plot: Banel and Adama are young adults in their late teens who live in a remote village in northern Senegal. Adama is quiet and introverted, while Banel is passionate and rebellious. Adama and Banel fall in love and decide to live separately from their families so that they can live together. When Adama refuses to fulfil his birthright to serve as the village’s future leader, chaos ensues in the community.
PERFECT DAYS
by Wim WENDERS:
Wim Wenders’ upcoming Japanese-German film Perfect Days is directed by him. The film will combine four short stories and will star Kji Yakusho as a toilet cleaner.
The film has been chosen to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it will be shown on May 25, 2023.
Plot: Hirayama works as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. He seems content with his simple life. He follows a structured everyday life and dedicates his free time to his passion for music and books. Hirayama also has a fondness for trees and photographs them. More of his past is gradually revealed through a series of unexpected encounters.
FIREBRAND
by Karim AÏNOUZ:
Firebrand is a forthcoming historical drama film directed by Karim Anouz and written by Jessica and Henrietta Ashworth. It is based on Elizabeth Fremantle’s 2013 novel Queen’s Gambit and centres on Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife. Alicia Vikander, Jude Law, Sam Riley, Eddie Marsan, Simon Russell Beale, and Erin Doherty feature in the film.
This is Anouz’s debut English-language directing effort.
Firebrand will have its world premiere on May 21, 2023, at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it will compete for the Palme d’Or.
Plot: Centers around Catherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII.
BLACK FLIES
by Jean-Stéphane SAUVAIRE:
The film Black Flies is based on Shannon Burke’s 2008 novel of the same name. It is directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire and written by Ryan King and Ben Mac Brown. Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan, Katherine Waterston, Michael Pitt, Mike Tyson, and Raquel Nave feature in it.
The film was chosen for competition at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in 2023 and will be released subsequently in the United States by Open Road Films.
Plot: In preparation for medical school, Ollie Cross joins veteran paramedic Gene Rutkovsky on a drive throughout New York City.
LE RETOUR
by Catherine CORSINI
(Homecoming):
Homecoming (French: Le Retour) is a 2023 French drama film co-written and directed by Catherine Corsini.
The film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 17 May 2023.
Plot: Khedidja, a woman of African origin, travels to Corsica to take care of the children of a wealthy Parisian family for the summer. Her daughters, Jessica and Farah, accompany her. It is an opportunity for the family to rediscover the island which they left fifteen years ago following a tragedy.
ELEMENTAL
by Peter SOHN:
“Elemental” is an upcoming American computer-animated film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios. Directed by Peter Sohn and written by John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, Brenda Hsueh, and Sohn, the romantic comedy-drama follows Ember, a fire element, and Wade, a water element, who fall in love despite being unable to touch. The film draws inspiration from Sohn’s immigrant upbringing in 1970s New York City and is influenced by romantic films. “Elemental” will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and be released in the United States on June 16 in various formats.
Plot: In a city where fire, water, land, and air residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy are about to discover something elemental: how much they have in common.
With a captivating mix of thought-provoking narratives and innovative storytelling, the lineup of films debuting at Cannes 2023 has left audiences eager for more. From established filmmakers to emerging talents, each movie on the list showcased a unique artistic vision and pushed the boundaries of the cinematic experience. As the festival comes to a close, these films will undoubtedly continue to spark conversations and captivate audiences worldwide, leaving a lasting impression on the industry. The future looks promising for these exceptional films, destined to make their mark on the global stage.
