On the eve of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, the Croisette is buzzing despite a world gripped by tension. Between tributes, stars, and political messages, cinema takes center stage in a high-stakes edition.
Final preparations were underway on the Croisette Monday, on the eve of the opening of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, as the world watches in suspense, awaiting the arrival of global cinema stars—from Juliette Binoche to Tom Cruise.
In front of tourists and onlookers, festival staff rolled out the official posters of this year’s edition on Sunday, celebrating the iconic screen couple Jean-Louis Trintignant and Anouk Aimée in Un homme et une femme, the 1966 Palme d’Or winner.
Musicians played the Mission: Impossible theme, seemingly heralding one of this year’s highlights: the Wednesday screening of the latest installment in the saga starring Tom Cruise.
The 40,000 accredited festivalgoers from 160 countries have also begun pouring into the French Riviera, heading to the hotels and palaces lining the Croisette.
A late icon of cinema already haunts the streets: Alain Delon is the subject of an exhibition of rare photographs, celebrating the actor and the women who supported his career, displayed in monumental format.
“I think it’s a wonderful time for Cannes. It draws a crowd, it shines on the international stage, and of course, it’s about the films—it’s entertainment, it’s culture, it’s art,” said Sylvie Lespagne, a local nurse interviewed by AFP video.
The world’s biggest annual cinema event runs through May 24, when the new Palme d’Or winner will be announced, succeeding Anora by American director Sean Baker.
Ukraine
Festival director Thierry Frémaux, who orchestrates the event followed by roughly 4,000 journalists, will hold a press conference Monday at 4:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. GMT).
It will set the tone for a festival opening in a world marked by war and the rise of authoritarian regimes.
Organizers have already announced that Tuesday’s opening day will be dedicated to Ukraine, with the screening of three documentaries.
“This programming is a reminder of Cannes’ commitment and the festival’s power to tell the world’s stories through cinema—stories that shape our future,” they emphasized.
Frémaux may also be questioned on gender-based discrimination and sexual violence, as French lawmakers attending the festival in mid-April called for a shift in mindset within the industry.
Binoche as Jury President
The jury, led by French actress and activist Juliette Binoche, will begin arriving throughout Monday, alongside fellow jurors like American actress Halle Berry and Franco-Moroccan novelist Leïla Slimani.
The grand celebration of cinema officially begins Tuesday, with a Palme d’Or Honorary Award presented to 81-year-old Robert De Niro. French music icon Mylène Farmer is expected to surprise guests on stage—possibly with a new song.
Another French singer, Juliette Armanet, stars in the opening film Partir un jour, a debut feature that will be released in theaters the same day.
More than 100 films will follow.
Twenty-two are in competition for the Palme d’Or, including Young Mothers by Belgium’s Dardenne brothers—two-time Palme winners—and Alpha by French filmmaker Julia Ducournau, one of seven women directors in the race. Ducournau hopes to win a second Palme after her shock-horror film Titane.
Newcomers such as Chinese director Bi Gan, American Ari Aster, and French actress-director Hafsia Herzi—each in their 30s—will make their first appearance in the main competition.
By François Becker and Florence Goisnard / AFP
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