It’s not an Indian summer time at Cannes 2025

What the 78th Cannes Movie Competition didn’t anticipate when it introduced a stricter gown code (disallowing nudity and voluminous attire) was that somebody would flip up on the pink carpet dressed like a large hen. The incident occurred on Day 5 on the premiere of the Jennifer Lawrence-Robert Pattinson starrer Die, My Love, a psychodrama a couple of new mom’s descent into psychological instability.

A number of days later, the no-selfie rule imposed by the pageant (in 2018) didn’t cease Mission Not possible star Tom Cruise and his group from taking selfies both, a few of them with their tongues out in jest. It’s quintessential Cannes — no quantity of gatekeeping can take away from the glamour and showmanship on the most prestigious movie pageant on this planet.

This yr’s version of the pageant, which opened on Might 13, comes shut on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement to impose tariffs on motion pictures produced exterior the nation. What this implies for productions that financial institution on enterprise within the U.S. market stays unclear, however there’s palpable trepidation amongst movie executives.

Whereas business stories counsel that deal makings are sluggish this yr, it stays to be seen if the tariff drama is responsible. That mentioned, a number of critically well-received motion pictures (Brazilian thriller The Secret Agent, multi-generational German drama Sound of Falling, and Richard Linklater’s Godard biopic New Wave, to call just a few) are taking part in out alongside Hollywood premieres reminiscent of Spike Lee’s Highest to Lowest, Ari Aster’s Eddington and Kristen Stewart’s The Chronology of Water — in and out of doors of the competitors sections. European auteurs, together with Joachim Trier, the Dardenne brothers and Julia Ducournau, and acclaimed Iranian administrators Jafar Panahi and Saeed Roustaee, have additionally showcased their work on the pageant.

Smaller Indian attendance

Actor Aishwarya Rai on the pink carpet at Cannes 2025.
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‘India at Cannes’ made headlines final yr, with as many as eight movies in participation, and Payal Kapadia’s All We Think about As Mild profitable the Grand Prix. The Indian presence this yr is restricted to director Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor. The movie, about two childhood pals and their seek for dignity through a job within the police power, premiered within the prestigious sidebar part, Un Sure Regard, the place it obtained a 9-minute standing ovation.

Ghaywan is returning to Cannes a decade after his Masaan was screened on the pageant and received the FIPRESCI Prize (awarded by the Worldwide Federation of Movie Critics). Speaking about Homebound earlier than its premiere, the filmmaker mentioned, “I’m hoping to see how the humanity of the movie resonates with the remainder of the world. I hope individuals perceive and relate with it. I simply need individuals to love it as a result of it took rather a lot for me to make it — I’ve taken 10 years for my second movie.”

Martin Scorsese is an govt producer for the movie, a course of that concerned Zoom calls, script consultations and elaborate notes, Ghaywan revealed.

Moreover, a newly restored model of Satyajit Ray’s 1969 traditional, Aranyer Din Ratri, a Walden-esque story a couple of group of pals escaping the mundanity of their lives, was screened within the Cannes Classics part. Hollywood filmmaker Wes Anderson referred to as Ray an “inspiration” in his gushing 10-minute tribute to the filmmaker. He was joined by actors Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal, each of whom fondly remembered their work within the movie.

Movie restorer Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, actors Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal, director Wes Anderson and others on the pink carpet at Cannes, Might 19, 2025.
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One other Indian interplay that acquired some traction on social media was a video of actor Robert De Niro hugging his Silver Linings Playbook co-star Anupam Kher, forward of the Cannes screening of the latter’s musical drama, Tanvi the Nice.

However maybe the largest splash this yr was filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s new function as a jury member — alongside French actor Juliette Binoche, American actors Halle Berry, Jeremy Robust and others. She was in full settlement that judging movies competing for the Palme d’Or was a deal with. “I’ve by no means had a chance to observe all of the pageant competitors movies previously as a result of when you’ve a film you might be targeted in your factor. So, to see this complete curation and talk about it with the jury group has been great,” she advised Hollywood Reporter.

Director and Cannes 2025 jury member Payal Kapadia, whose movie ‘All We Think about As Mild’ received the Grand Prix at Cannes final yr.
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Selective highlights?

On the Bharat Pavilion, it’s enterprise as standard, with trailer launches, spherical desk discussions and networking periods. Upcoming movies — together with the current Berlinale hit Baksho Bondi, helmed by Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi with Tilottama Shome within the lead, Kher’s Tanvi The Nice, Neeraj Churi’s queer movie Sabar Bonda, and Biriyaani director Sajin Baabu’s Theater: The Fable of Actuality — had been launched on the venue.

Whereas the Pavilion’s schedule is packed, one sore level stays that the flicks in competitors by no means get sufficient discover right here. An insider noticed that the eye reserved for market movies (the Marché du Movie part) is never shared with pageant part motion pictures which have earned their entry. In different phrases, solely institution pleasant movies are promoted.

Marché du Movie can also be the place producers pay to have personal screening of their movies for bragging rights, and as anticipated, hopeful Indian producers flit out and in of conferences to market their work. “It has been back-breaking and intense but additionally a gorgeously invigorating pageant,” mentioned Smriti Kiran, founder and director of the newly launched manufacturing firm Polka Dots LightBox.

“As a reasonably new movie producer and purchaser, I spent my time doing conferences, pitching, attending workshops, dialog periods, shadowing producers and throwing myself into sidebar occasions to grasp the world of co-productions, movie grants, distribution and acquisition avenues, script labs and movie skilled networks that exist internationally,” added Kiran.

Apparently, any promotion of the one Indian movie in competitors, Homebound, is conspicuously absent from the pageant schedule, although the Pavilion hosted an unplanned last-minute session with Ghaywan and producer Karan Johar, simply earlier than the movie’s premiere. “The most important change for India this yr on the pageant is that Payal Kapadia broke the glass ceiling, and he or she made it attainable for Indian motion pictures to be observed,” Ghaywan noticed.

For the movie’s lead actor, Ishaan Khatter, contemporary from the publicity of his new Netflix sequence The Royals, Cannes is a “full circle” second. “Cannes being the Mecca of movie festivals, it was all the time a dream to go there with a movie. It’s all the things and extra I may have hoped for. The vitality there was so lovely, individuals genuinely care about cinema with a ardour,” he mentioned.

Actor Ishaan Khatter promotes his movie ‘Homebound’ at Cannes 2025.
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One other notable look at Cannes is by director Honey Trehan, to drum up assist for his 2023 movie, Punjab ’95. Trehan’s biopic of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, starring Diljit Dosanjh, was introduced as a line-up on the 2023 Toronto Movie Competition, earlier than being pulled out, and is but to be launched in India over censorship troubles.

Trehan mentioned his pressing want is to not let the thrill across the movie die and to clear a path for not less than a world launch. “It’s not simply my movie,” mentioned the filmmaker. “Motion pictures like Santosh [which had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes last year, where it received positive reviews], have additionally not been launched in India as a result of the federal government feels the topic is controversial. Throttling inventive freedom within the identify of censorship is detrimental to good artwork. Good cinema must replicate historic truths and lived realities of our individuals.”

Resulting in the Oscar buzz

At Cannes, typically contenders that might win the celebrated Palme d’Or take their time to emerge throughout the two weeks of the pageant. On the time of this text going to press, a Ukrainian movie referred to as Two Prosecutors, about life within the Soviet Union beneath Stalin’s rule, was making a buzz for the large prize, in accordance with the critics jury grid by Display screen journal. The identical may very well be mentioned of Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi’s It Was Simply an Accident, with the director himself travelling to Cannes, a rarity that attracted a lot consideration.

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi (centre) with the forged of his movie ‘It Was Simply an Accident’, at Cannes 2025.
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This yr, there are 22 movies in the principle competitors part dominated by Hollywood and European motion pictures, with two Iranian movies, one Japanese movie and one Brazilian movie within the roster. A number of pageant goers, nonetheless, aren’t totally satisfied in regards to the output. “It is a pageant about which I’m very divided,” mentioned Freddy Savalle, a authorized govt with a French manufacturing firm.

“The Japanese provided contemplative movies that bored me significantly, however there was an excellent number of French and even Belgian motion pictures. What I remorse, and it’s usually the case yearly, is that the pageant invitations prestigious administrators, who don’t have anything new to say, or who repeat themselves, like Wes Anderson, for instance. They’re invited solely as a result of they’re large stars and since they’ve had success previously,” mentioned Savalle.

Director Wes Anderson promotes his movie ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ at Cannes 2025.
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Anderson’s movie, an journey caper in his typical idiosyncratic vogue, comes with beautiful units and wonderful casting as anticipated, and a tiresomely acquainted narrative. Critics are divided. Based on BBC’s Nicholas Barber, “The excellent news is that The Phoenician Scheme is considered one of Anderson’s funnier movies, with a dedication to knockabout zaniness which helps you to smile on the Anderson-ishness somewhat than merely roll your eyes at it.”

Whether or not the Cannes to Oscar pipeline will come to move this yr like final is simply too early to inform. There isn’t an Anora or Emilia Perez but, however among the many promising movies premiered is queer drama, The Historical past of Sound, by Oliver Hermanus; Mastermind by American indie darling Kelly Reichardt; and Lady and Little one by the Iranian director Saeed Roustaee.

Nearer house, will Ghaywan’s Homebound, for example, replicate the success of his debut movie, Masaan? “It would sound like a cliché however I genuinely don’t anticipate the movie to win something,” Ghaywan mentioned. “I don’t need to put any pressures or expectations on it, I’m simply very glad it’s right here as a result of I believe it deserves to be,” added Khatter. Even when Homebound doesn’t win something, Bollywood will be proud it produced these abilities.

The author is a Düsseldorf, Germany-based journalist.