It’s that time of the year again when all the cinephiles from around the world gather in the city of Cannes and celebrate masterworks by prolific filmmakers. While we wait for the film festival to commence, here’s everything you need to know about Cannes 2023!
After the Oscars and Met Gala this year, we’re ready to look at some more red carpet glamor at Cannes 2023. The prestigious film festival is back again and actors, creators, filmmakers and other crew members will all be under one roof to watch and honor some of the most well made movies from this year. There are many directors and actors who are attendees every year while some of them are making their come back to the film festival after decades. This year will be the 76th edition of the festival and will host numerous screenings, parties, red carpets and interviews. The festival commences tomorrow and as usual the highlights will be all over our Instagram for us to scroll away.
It's a great opportunity for many to learn about world cinema in general and discover talent from various countries and cultures. Palme d’Or prize, the main award of the festival, is what everyone looks forward to and there are 21 movies competing in this category this year. Cannes also has many Indian celebrities and content creators making their mark on the festival every year. Last year we saw Deepika Padukone make India proud by being one of the Jury members at the festival. But since there’s a new jury every year, there’s a whole new set of people who will be handing out the awards. The first female president of Cannes, Iris Knobloch said that this year Cannes is going “Back to the future of Cinema”.
Also Read: Met Gala 2023: Everything you need to know about fashion’s greatest night!
So without further ado, let’s dig deeper into what we can expect from the festival this year!
When is Cannes 2023 taking place?
The festival has always been synonymous to the month of May. And just like every year, this year too it will commence from May 16 and conclude on May 27. The opening film will be Jeanne Du Barry which stars Johnny Depp and Maiwenn, who has also directed the movie. It is a biological drama about Louis XV.
Who is a part of the Cannes 2023 jury?
The president of the jury this year is ‘Triangles of Sadness’ director and 2022 Palme d’Or winner Ruben Ostlund. Other jury members include Hollywood actress Brie Larson, Moroccan director Maryam Touzani, French actor Denis Menochet, British-Zambian screenwriter and director Rungano Nyoni, Afghan author Atiq Rahimi, Argentine director and screenwriter Damián Szifrón, Director Julia Ducournau, who won the Palme d'Or in 2021 for her film ‘Titane’.
Which films will be competing for the Palme d’Or?
Club Zero by Jessica Hausner
The Zone of Interest by Jonathan Glazer
Kuolleet Lehdet (Fallen Leaves) by Aki Kaurismaki
Les Filles d’Olfa (Four Daughters) by Kaouther Ben Hania
Asteroid City by Wes Anderson
Kaibutsu (Monster) by Kore-eda Hirokazu
Il Sol dell' Avvenire (A Brighter Tomorrow) by Nanni Moretti
L’ete dernier (Last Summer) by Catherine Breillat
Kuru Otlar Ustune (About Dry Grasses) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
La Chimera by Alice Rohrwacher
La Passion de Dodin Bouffant (The Pot-au-Feu) by Tran Anh Hung
Rapito (Kidnapped) by Marco Bellocchio
May December by Todd Haynes
Qing Chun (Youth) by Wang Bing
The Old Oak by Ken Loach
Banel e Adama by Ramata-Toulaye Sy
Perfect Days by Wim Wenders
Firebrand by Karim Aïnouz
Black Flies by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
Le Retour (Homecoming) by Catherine Corsini
This is the first time seven female filmmakers are nominated for the Palme d’Or award. There are three exceptions who are not competing for the Palme d’Or but will still be screened at the festival. Martin Scorsese returns to the festival after 37 years with his upcoming film Killers of the Flower Moon which stars the powerhouses of talent Leo Dicaprio and Robert De Niro. Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones and Dial of Destiny and Pedro Almodovar’s Strange Way of Life starring Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke will also be screened at the festival.
Indian films that will be screened at the festival?
There are four films that will be screened at the festival this year. Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy starring Sunny Leone, Rahul Bhat, Meghna Burman and Benedict Garett. The film is selected as a part of the Midnight screening section of the festival.
Agra, starring Rahul Roy, will have its world premiere at the Directors' Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival. It is written and directed by Kanu Behl.
Manipuri filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma's award-winning film of 1990 Ishanou will also be screened this year. It has been selected for a world premiere on May 19, 2023 at the prestigious Cannes Classic section of the Cannes Film Festival 2023, a segment that celebrates restored versions of all-time classics.
Nehemich, a short film by Yudhajit Basu which was selected amongst 2000 films, will also be screened at the festival.
Which celebrities can we expect to see on the red carpet?
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who has always been a regular at the festival because of her ambassadorship with L’Oreal Paris, will be attending this year as well. Sara Ali Khan, Anushka Sharma, Aditi Rao Hydari, Anurag Kashyap and Sunny Leone are amongst the Indian celebrities who will attend the festival. Johnny Depp, Harrison Ford, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones and many other Hollywood celebrities are expected to grace the carpet. Meanwhile Indian content creators like Ruhee Dosani, Niharika NM, Masoom Minawala, Dolly Singh, Ranveer Allahbadia, and Rahi Chaddha will make their mark at the festival as well.
Who is receiving the Lifetime Achievement award at the festival this year?
Hollywood star Micheal Douglas will receive the honorary Palme d’Or this year for his lifetime achievement. The festival believes that the actor has had great engagement for cinema. And Michael Douglas said in an interview that the first time ever he made his debut at Cannes was 1979 for The China Syndrome and then in 2013, and he always felt the magic of cinemas at the festival and realized the impact it has on people all over the world.
What are you looking forward to the most at Cannes 2023? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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