The world of cinema gathers at the prestigious French festival, which runs until the 25th of this month, in a iteration distinguished once again by a strong presence of Hollywood stars on the Croisette, just two months before the Olympic Games in Paris. Following Martin Scorsese and Harrison Ford last year, this year the film "Megalopolis" directed by Francis Ford Coppola is anticipated to be showcased in the official competition, 45 years after his famous work "Apocalypse Now," for which he won the Palme d'Or.
This feature film stars Adam Driver, and its first trailer was released on Saturday, promising to be an ambitious science fiction project that has been in development for 40 years, dedicating a significant part of the renowned filmmaker's wealth to its production. Coppola will reunite with some other prominent names in American cinema, including George Lucas, the creator of the "Star Wars" films who will receive an honorary Palme d'Or, as well as actress Meryl Streep.
New representatives from Hollywood's emerging generation are also expected to attend, including Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi, both of whom gained attention in the film "Saltburn," and Margaret Qualley. The festival will also showcase thrillers and action films, particularly through "Furiosa," which will be presented out of competition and serves as a prequel to the "Mad Max" series.
Among nearly a hundred films to be shown in various sections, 22 are competing for the Palme d'Or, which was awarded last year to French director Justine Triet for her film "Anatomy of a Fall." The American jury will be chaired by Greta Gerwig (40), the first female director to surpass $1 billion in box office receipts with "Barbie." The jury also includes other notable names, such as French actor Omar Sy and American actress Lily Gladstone, who attracted attention last year at Cannes for her role in Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," as well as Lebanese director Nadine Labaki.
Cinema veterans accustomed to the prestigious French festival, such as Jacques Audiard with a Spanish musical showcasing the drug trade, or David Cronenberg, will also participate. Emma Stone returns with her favorite director Yorgos Lanthimos after winning an Oscar for "Poor Things."
International developments will not be absent from the festival, especially in competition, with a narrative film about Donald Trump in his youth ("The Apprentices") and an adaptation of Emmanuel Carrère's "Limonov," directed by the exiled Russian filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov.
The film sector at Cannes will continue to explore the impact of artificial intelligence and new technologies on creativity, following six months of a historic strike in Hollywood, which has led the festival to introduce a competition for virtual reality.
However, the event will also spark discussions about gender parity (as female directors make up only 20% of the names in the official competition list, according to a feminist organization), as well as issues of sexual violence and discrimination against women. Seven years after the start of the #MeToo movement, the topic of sexual violations in the industry remains on everyone's minds, both in the United States, where one of Harvey Weinstein's convictions was recently overturned, and in France, where the trial of Gérard Depardieu took place in October, providing an opportunity for victims to raise their voices, spearheaded by actress Judith Godrèche.
