U.K. Film Debuts Announced for Cannes 2025, 2 in Competition

Thierry Frémaux, the director of the Cannes Film Festival, unveiled the line-up for 2025, its 78th edition, with an Official Selection that was surprisingly heavy on American offerings, considering the festival broke the record for submissions with a record 2,909 features submitted. As always, the entire roster made motions towards diversity (a film from China! a film from Nigeria!) without actually putting any work into it, preferring to entice American stars to the event despite the ongoing economic upheaval the country is currently causing the global economy. Even films from the U.K. were down to half the nods the country landed a year ago, with only two films in competition.

The selections were also heavy on the returnees, with two-time Palme d’Or winners the Dardenne Brothers returning to a Competition slot with a film about a shelter for young mothers. (This is the brothers' tenth time competing for the Palme d’Or.) Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa is also back with a new film set during Stalin’s Great Terror in 1937, as is Wes Anderson with his latest spy comedy thriller. Tarik Saleh returns with the final installment of his Cairo Trilogy of political thrillers, and the infamous Joachim Trier (The Worst Person In The World) reunites with co-writer Eskil Vogt and Cannes Best Actress winner Renate Reinsve.

However, it's not a total old boys club. Six female filmmakers have made it to the Competition this year out of the total of the nineteen slots, which is far better than, say, the Oscars. They include Julia Ducournau, Kelly Reichardt, Hafsia Herzi, Carla Simon, Chie Hayakawa, and Mascha Schilinski.