The Cannes Film Festival, the annual celebration of independent cinema on the French Riviera, will start today with John Travolta, Adam Driver and Barbra Streisand among the superstars set to walk the red carpet.
Cannes is the world’s biggest film festival, first conceived in 1939 as an alternative to Venice’s film extravaganza, which was then under the sway of the ruling fascists.
Twenty-two films compete for the Palme d’Or, featuring works by renowned directors. Spain’s Pedro Almodóvar, Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Romania’s Cristian Mungiu lead the lineup, joined by fresh voices like Belgium’s Lukas Dhont and France’s Lea Mysius.
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s AI-themed Sheep in the Box stands out as a top contender, alongside South Korean Na Hong-jin’s Hope.
Unlike earlier editions of Cannes, which saw stars like Tom Cruise bringing major blockbusters and studios such as Disney premiering films from the Star Wars franchise, this year’s festival will not feature Hollywood’s biggest productions. Highly anticipated films including The Odyssey and Disclosure Day are skipping Cannes entirely.