Il Cannes Film Festival 2023 is about to kick off and, as per tradition, film stars from all over the world are arriving on the Croisette to walk the red carpet and take part in the many scheduled events.
In this edition number 76, scheduled from 16 to 27 May, there are so many names awaited: from Johnny Deppprotagonist of the opening film, a Harrison Fordwhich will present the new chapter in the adventures of Indiana Jones, without forgetting the couple made up of Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke, or the protagonists of Italian cinema, from the patroness of the festival Chiara Mastroianni to Nanni Moretti.
Out of competition events
The Cannes Film Festival will kick off with Jeanne Du Barry – The Royal Favoritethe film directed by Maiwenn starring Johnny Depp on his return to the red carpet after the trial that saw him as the protagonist in court against his ex-wife Amber Heard and the allegations of violence that distanced him from the sets and from the light of spotlight for a very long time.
Among the most anticipated titles there are then Indiana Jones and the Quadrant of Destiny which will bring to Cannes Harrison Ford in his latest interpretation of the iconic archaeologist, directed by James Mangold, and co-stars Phoebe Waller Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas and Boyd Holbrook.
Martin Scorsese is instead ready to return to Cannes with his long-awaited Killers of the Flower Moon, which allowed him to collaborate once again with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, joined on set by Jesse Plemons and Lily Gladstone to tell the story of some brutal crimes that took place in the 1920s with members of the Osage tribe as victims.
The series The Idol, directed by the creator of Euphoria Sam Levinson and starring Lily-Rose Depp as a young music star and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye as an impresario with a dark past. In the cast of the episodes, already discussed for potential explicit and extreme content, there are also Hank Azaria, Eli Roth and Troye Sivan.
A completely different atmosphere for the Pixar film Elemental, directed by Peter Sohn, which should be presented at the festival by French voice actors including Adele Exarchopoulos and Mamoudou Athie, protagonists of a story linked to natural elements.
Between the midnight screenings there is a lot of anticipation and curiosity for Acid, directed by Just Philippot, with Guillaume Canet at the center of a story set in France in the throes of acid rain that sows devastation and panic causing an environmental catastrophe. The stars of Korean cinema – from Sun Kyun Lee to Ju Ji-Hoon, will then face an impenetrable fog in Project Silence directed by Tae Gon Kim.
Gossip lovers are instead waiting for potential new installments in the saga of the couple made up of Ben Affleckarriving on the Croisette to present Hypnotic by Robert Rodriguez, and his wife Jennifer Lopez.
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The protagonists of the Cannes Premiere section
In the Cannes Premiere section there will also be space for the new film with star Chiara Mastroianni, chosen as godmother of the 76th edition. The Italian actress is among the protagonists of Eurekadirected by Lisandro Alonso, which also sees in its cast Viggo Mortensen.
Takeshi Kitano will arrive on the Croisette to present It’s bada story set in the sixteenth century with a bloody rivalry for control of Japan at its heart.
Valérie Donzelli will present a story of love and possession in love and forests con star Virginie Efira and Melvil Poupad; while Amat Escalante will arrive from Mexico to present his lost in the night where a young man will go in search of justice after the disappearance of his mother, an activist who fought against an international company.
Special screenings
Among the stars arriving thanks to the special screenings, the couple made up of Ethan Hawke e Peter Pascaldirected by Pedro Almodovar in the western short film Strange Way of Life. In the cast of the awaited project also the star of Elite Manu Ríos.
Wim Wenders will instead present a 3D experience entitled Anselwhere past and present intertwine as viewers are immersed in the world of artist Anselm Kiefer.
Marion Cotillard is then the protagonist of the film Little Girl Bluein which director Mona Achache traces her mother’s life through thousands of photos, letters and recordings.
Director Steve McQueen will arrive in Cannes to present the documentary Occupied Cityabout the city of Amsterdam.
The stars of the films in competition
Wes Anderson, as usual, can count on a truly stellar cast to present its Asteroid City and it will be interesting to find out which of the interpreters will arrive at Cannes. The list is really long: Jason Schwartzman, Tom Hanks, Scarlett JohanssonJeffrey Wright, Bryan Cranston, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, Hong Chay, Margot Robbie, Jake Ryan, Tony Revolori e Jeff Goldblum.
Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire instead entrusted Tye Sheridan and Sean Penn the roles of the paramedic and the policeman at the center of the film Black Flies.
In competition will also come Mia Wasikowska which was directed by Jessica Haunser in the film Club Zerowith a teacher at its center who pushes her students to eat less and less.
Another title that promises to be able to give satisfaction to lovers of cinema and glamor is Firebranddirected by Karim Ainouz: Jude Law, Alicia VikanderErin Doherty, Sam Riley, Eddie Marsan and Simon Russell Beale are some of the performers who bring to the screen the struggle for power in England at the time of Henry VIII, between conspiracies and the struggle for survival.
Totally different atmosphere for the Italian Il sol dell’avvenire by Nanni Moretti, aiming for the Palme d’Or with its story of a man grappling with a failing marriage and potential bankruptcy. After the excellent reception at home on the Croisette, in addition to the director and protagonist, Silvio Orlando, Margherita Buy, Barbora Bobulova and Mathieu Amalric should also parade.
The director also supports made in Italy cinema Alice Rohrwacher con Chimerain which various stories interpreted by Alba Rohrwarcher, Josh O’Connor, Isabella Rossellini, Carol Duarte and Vincenzo Nemolato intertwine.
Mark Bellocchio will present later Kidnapped, inspired by the true story of the kidnapping of little Edgardo Mortara from his family of Jewish origin to raise him within the Catholic Church. Among the protagonists are Fabrizio Gifuni, Filippo Timi, Leonardo Matese, Barbara Ronchi and Fausto Russo Alesi.
Another leap into the past will be made with The Passion of Dodin Bouffantdirected by Hung Tran Anh and starring Juliette Binoche and Benoit Magimel.
Director Todd Haynes instead relied on the beautiful ones Natalie Portman e Julianne Moore to make the film May Decemberin which a couple find themselves in trouble when an actress investigates their past.
Much loved authors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Aki Kaurismaki, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Catherine Breillat, Catherine Corsini, Wim Wenders, Ken Loach and Jonathan Glazer will then return to France
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The other sections
The Un Certain Regard section offers some very interesting titles made by emerging names and established directors. To attract attention thanks to the involvement of top-level stars on the international scene there is certainly Cate Blanchettprotagonist of The New Boy directed by Warwick Thornton. The Oscar-nominated actress with Tar she will play a nun who, in the 1940s, finds herself struggling with an Aboriginal child whose presence throws a monastery into crisis.
The Quinzaine des Cineastes unleashes its cards with an unmissable meeting with Quentin Tarantino and with the presentation of anticipated films such as The Book of Solution Of Michael Gondry ass star Pierre Niney, The Goldman Case directed by Cédric Kahn, The Sweet East by Sean Price Williams which also sees among its protagonists the darling of the new generations Jacob Elordi.
The Palme d’Or for Lifetime Achievement
Michael Douglas will be awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award and the film star will also be the protagonist of a documentary, The Prodigal Son, directed by Amine Mestari. For those wishing to experience a bit of the festival atmosphere from a distance, the film is available free of charge for a few more hours in streaming on Arte France.
The juries
The prizes of this 2023 edition of the Cannes Film Festival are awarded by world-renowned international cinema exponents. The films in competition will be screened by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund, French screenwriter and director Julia Ducournau, Argentine director and screenwriter Damian Szifron, Afghan director and screenwriter Atiq Rahimi, American actor, screenwriter and director Paul Dano, actress , director and producer Brie Larson, director and screenwriter Rungano Nyoni who is from Zambia, French actor Denis Ménochet, and Moroccan screenwriter and director Maryam Touzani.
The Hungarian director Ildiko Enyedi will take care of the short films; French actress Karidja Touré; Israeli screenwriter, director, actor and producer Shlomi Elkabetz; Canadian actress, director and screenwriter Charlotte Le Bon; and Iranian-American screenwriter and director Ana Lily Amirpour.
John C. Reilly will be president of the Un Certain Regard judging panel and will lead a team also composed by Belgian actress Emilie Dequenne, director, producer and screenwriter Davy Chou, actress Paula Beer, and director and screenwriter Alice Winocour.
La Semaine della Critique will see at work the group composed of director Audrey Diwan, director of photography Rui Pocas, Indian critic Meenakshi Shedde, German actor Franz Rogowski fresh from the success achieved with Freaks Outby Sundance Film Festival programmer Kim Yutani.
If this long list of stars from all over the world weren’t enough, we must also remember that the Cannes Film Festival also welcomes guests linked to prestigious sponsors on its red carpet and gives space to exclusive parties and highly coveted galas. Among testimonials and celebrities ready to celebrate, aboard yachts and five-star hotels, there are also Elle Fanning, Helen Mirren and many models busy parading with the latest creations of high fashion designers.