Each year The Cannes Festival honors movies from around the world. The festival, which is held in southern France, had its beginnings in 1946 as a complement to the Venice Film Festival. The films displayed at Cannes are those of all genres, including documentaries and shorts. They’re shown to those involved in the industry (versus other film festivals, which are more accessible to the public). This Cannes Film Festival marks its 78th year.
Top Films at Cannes This Year
Cannes featured many extraordinary films in 2025. Here are several films from different countries. Each of these motion pictures has achieved cinematic greatness by either its meaning or message, or has made significant technical advances within the film industry.
Alpha Directed by Julia Ducournau
Julia Ducournau both wrote and directed this offbeat body-horror film. The film is set in the 1980s, where a preteen girl gets a tattoo. Although the film is centered around the tattoo, other themes are incorporated into the film. Both horrific and thought-provoking, this might be Julia’s finest piece of work yet.
It Was Just an Accident Directed by Jafar Panahi
A collaborative release from France, Luxembourg, and Iran has only a few details known about it. Panahi has said it’s a film about a small incident that sets up a series of other consequences. It will be interesting to see what this controversial and very talented director has produced this year.
Left-Handed Girl Directed by Shih-Ching Tsou
This film focuses on a single mother and her two daughters who return to Taipei to be with the mother’s family. It centers around the family coping with their new business and their relationship with their extended family. Last year’s Palme d’Or winner, Sean Baker, penned this with Tsou.
Highest 2 Lowest Directed by Spike Lee
This Spike Lee joint is another smart collaboration with Denzel Washington. This top Cannes Film Festival entry is an action packed flick, with Denzel‘s nuanced acting chops. It’s set in New York, as an updated remake of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low.
Sentimental Value (Affeksjonsverdi) Directed by Joachim Trier
A Norwegian entry has come into the fold. This film follows a stage actress named Nora (portrayed by Renate Reinsve) whose father, a film director, comes back into her life. Family tension and relationships are explored in this piece.
Cannes 2025: The Year of Directorial Debuts
Two of the newest directors are already well-known names. Both Kristen Stewart and Scarlett Johansson have films in the Cannes Festival. The Chronology of Water and Eleanor the Great, respectively, are the directorial debuts of both Stewart and Johansson. The Chronology of Water is about an Olympic swimming hopeful, played by Imogen Poots. Eleanor the Great chronicles the elderly Eleanor’s move to New York City and newfound friendships.
To Sum Up
This year’s Cannes Film Festival looks like it will have lots of excellent entries and fierce competition for those projects which are judged. With directorial debuts, plenty of acting talent, and deep, emotional topics being explored, Cannes 2025 will have films that will likely be long remembered.
