Cannes Film Festival 2025

Festival De Cannes 2025

Running from 13 to 24 May 2025, the 78th edition of the Cannes International Film Festival returns to Cannes, France.

Held every year since 1946, the festival is widely regarded as the oldest and most prestigious gathering in world cinema, bringing together directors, actors and industry figures from across the globe.

Festival Overview

Festival de Cannes is France's flagship international film festival and one of the most recognised events of its kind anywhere in the world. It draws established names, rising talent and industry decision-makers in equal measure, all shaped by the shared effort of directors, producers and other film professionals who bring the programme together each year.

Beyond the films themselves, the event is known for its tributes to leading figures in cinema and its lavish evening galas. Style and fashion are woven into the occasion too, with the red carpet doubling as a runway for celebrities and designers alike.

The Festival

Few events combine spectacle and substance quite like Cannes. The red carpet gives filmmakers and cast a platform to present their work, while the festival as a whole remains a launchpad for discovering new voices in cinema. The climb up the famous steps has become a ritual in itself, standing for prestige and the wider celebration of film. Everything centres on the Palais des Festivals, where stars, executives and up-and-coming names cross paths throughout the event. Programming spans several strands, among them the Official Selection, Un Certain Regard and Directors' Fortnight.

Venue and Infrastructure

Set on the French Riviera, the festival is anchored by the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès on the famous La Croisette. This modern convention centre hosts everything from premieres and press conferences to the red carpet moments the festival is best known for.

Its centrepiece, the Grand Théâtre Lumière, seats more than 2,300 people and is fitted with an oversized screen and advanced sound systems built for cinematic scale. Other spaces within the Palais, including Salle Debussy and Salle Buñuel, host additional screenings for industry guests and festival-goers.

Away from the auditoriums, the Palais serves as a working base for press, professionals and visitors, with the surrounding city adding to the experience through its beaches, hotels and cultural life.

Organisers work with local authorities on sustainability measures, from cutting waste to encouraging greener ways to get around during the festival.

The Palais is also home to the Marché du Film, the leading marketplace for the film trade, where deals are struck and new talent uncovered throughout the festival's run.

Screenings and Programming

Cannes runs several distinct strands of programming across its schedule. The Official Selection brings together films chosen by an industry jury, who also hand out the jury prize alongside other top honours. Un Certain Regard spotlights more experimental work, while Directors' Fortnight is reserved for emerging filmmakers. Tributes to individual figures in cinema, including a best actress honour from the French Association, also feature on the programme.

Accreditation and Participation

Accreditation for the 2025 edition opened on 3 February 2025, with several categories available depending on how attendees plan to take part:

• Press Accreditation: for journalists reporting on the festival.
• "Trois jours à Cannes/Three Days in Cannes" Pass: aimed at film enthusiasts aged 18–28, granting access to selected screenings and events.
• Marché Badge: for professionals attending the Marché du Film.

Between them, these passes cover everyone from seasoned industry figures to first-time cinephiles. Free transport passes are also on offer, supporting more sustainable travel around the festival.

History and Heritage

Cannes traces its roots back to 1946, when it was founded to honour outstanding films and celebrate cinema more broadly. The Second World War delayed its launch and shaped the festival's early years.

FIAPF formally recognised the festival in 1951, and it has remained a fixture of the film calendar ever since. Its format has evolved considerably over the decades, but its focus on showcasing world-class cinema hasn't changed. The French Association of the Film Festival continues to oversee its governance, including key appointments. Government backing and sponsorship have played a significant part in the festival's growth over the years.

President and Jury

French actress Juliette Binoche leads the main competition jury for 2025. The festival's Best Director prize remains one of the industry's highest marks of filmmaking achievement. Binoche brings an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress ("The English Patient") and a Cannes Best Actress win in 2010 ("Certified Copy") to the role, making her a fitting choice to guide the jury's selections.

Impartiality and cultural diversity are central to how the jury reaches its decisions, alongside respect for the filmmakers and jurors involved.

Official Selection and Submissions

The Official Selection is made up of several strands, including In Competition titles, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Première and various special screenings. In Competition films carry the most weight, judged by a jury drawn from across the industry, with each film screened for the jury as part of the evaluation. Filmmakers hoping to feature in 2025 needed to meet the following deadlines:

• Feature Films: 14 March 2025.
• Short Films: submissions closed 3 March 2025, with final uploads due 7 March 2025.
• La Cinef (Student Films): 25 February 2025.

Once selections are finalised, the festival helps chosen films reach international audiences through premieres, market activity and industry connexions — with both established and emerging filmmakers represented across the sections.

Ticketing and Access

Ticketing for the 78th festival opens in early May 2025. New seats become available each morning, at either 7am or 9am depending on accreditation type. Logging into the ticketing site early offers no advantage — everyone is placed in a virtual waiting room a minute before release, with access decided by random draw, so timing alone doesn't guarantee a seat. In previous years, 90% of accredited attendees reached the booking site within two minutes, reflecting the festival's efforts to keep the process quick and fair.

Yachts and Red Carpet at Cannes

Cannes isn't only about the films — the French Riviera's superyacht scene is as much a part of the festival as the screenings themselves. For celebrities and industry figures, these yachts double as private retreats, party venues and convenient places to stay throughout the event.

Anchored close to the Palais des Festivals, they offer high-profile guests a discreet base with easy access to the action. Past editions have seen names like Heidi Klum and Kylie Minogue hosting or attending yacht parties along the coast.

Chartering a superyacht for the festival has become an increasingly popular way to experience Cannes, offering a private setting for screenings, meetings and celebrations away from the crowds.

Celebrity Sightings and Red Carpet Events

Glamour and star power sit at the heart of the Cannes experience. The red carpet brings out the industry's biggest names as they promote new films and connect with peers. Opening and closing ceremonies, along with the gala evenings throughout the festival, provide some of the event's most photographed moments — the images and appearances that come to define each edition and travel far beyond Cannes itself.

Media and Press Coverage

Cannes ranks among the most heavily covered events in film, pulling in journalists, photographers and media teams from around the world. The festival's press office supports this with dedicated screenings, interviews with high-profile figures, and access designed to help media capture the event in full.

Coverage isn't confined to the Croisette. The festival's official website and social channels keep audiences updated in real time, while television networks and streaming platforms carry key moments — from red carpet arrivals to award ceremonies — to viewers worldwide.

Outlets such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Screen International sit alongside broader media names like CNN, BBC and Reuters among the festival's press partners, helping extend its reach as a launchpad for new talent and storytelling.

Alongside the screenings, industry events and conferences give professionals room to network and discuss where cinema is heading. The resulting coverage helps build momentum around selected films and recognises the work of directors, cast and crew alike.

For film lovers, Cannes remains a fixture on the calendar — a mix of glamour, creativity and media reach that few other events can match.

To Be Seen

The full line-up of films and events for 2025 will be confirmed in mid-April, with anticipation already building around the coming screenings, workshops and panels. Among the festival's honours, the Palme d'Or stands as its top prize, celebrating outstanding filmmaking and championing European cinema. Past winners have gone on to international acclaim, including India's "The Lunchbox" and Werner Herzog's "Every Man for Himself and God Against All" from Germany, with several Cannes winners later picking up honours at the Academy Awards and other major festivals.

Films can be seen in a range of formats, from the grand auditorium screenings to free open-air showings at Macé Beach, with full scheduling details available via the festival's official programme pages.

Cannes has also long served as a backdrop within film and fiction itself, and carries a history of collaborative filmmaking — including the origins of cinéma vérité, coined by co-director Edgar Morin.

Alongside the screenings, the festival is equally known for its red carpet fashion moments and its role as a major networking hub for the industry — a blend of art, commerce and glamour that keeps Cannes central to the cultural calendar, with future editions set to carry that legacy forward.

Conclusion

The 2025 edition of Cannes will once again champion both established names and new talent in cinema. With Juliette Binoche presiding over the jury, this year's festival promises to be one of the must-attend events on the calendar. As attention turns to the French Riviera this May, Cannes will once more take its place as the centre of cinematic glamour on the world stage.