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 :
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:
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):
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):
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:
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):
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 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):
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):
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):
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:
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 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):
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 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:
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:
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:
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:
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 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):
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:
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.
