LIST: Films competing at Cannes 2024
Are you ready for one of the biggest cinematic events of the year? The highly anticipated 77th Cannes Film Festival is running from May 14 to 25, with a total of 22 films vying for the top prize.
Greta Gerwig will serve as the Jury President this year and will be joined by leading luminaries in film including Hirokazu Kore-eda, Lily Gladstone, and Eva Green.
Here's the official lineup of films competing for the Palme d’Or, the highest honor at Cannes.
All We Imagine as Light, by Payal Kapadia
Two nurses working in Mumbai find themselves in different romantic situations. Prabha receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband while Anu experiences newfound love. The two go on a road trip to a seaside town where they find a space for their desires to manifest.
Anora, Sean Baker
Sean Baker returns to Cannes with his romantic comedy film Anora, which tells the story of a young sex worker in Brooklyn who meets and marries an oligarch's son.
The Apprentice, Ali Abbasi
This biographical drama follows a young Donald Trump (played by Sebastian Stan) and his relationship with former New York City prosecutor Roy Cohn.
Bird, Andrea Arnold
Drama film Bird follows Bailey, a 12-year-old living in a squat in North Kent with her brother Hunter and single dad Bug. With Bailey about to enter adolescence, she demands and looks for more attention and excitement, however, Bug cannot afford to give time to his children.
Caught by the Tides (Feng Liu Yi Dai), Jia Zhang-Ke
This Chinese drama film is set in China from the early 2000s to the present day. It narrates the story of Qiaoqiao and Bin, who share a love story marked by both enduring affection and vulnerability. They embrace city life in Datong but Bin wants something more so he leaves suddenly. Qiaoqiao decides to follow him.
Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard
Written and directed by Jacques Audiard, this film will star Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, and Zoe Saldana.
It follows the story of lawyer Rita who works for a sketchy firm. She then gets hired to help a cartel boss leave his illegal business by undergoing sex reassignment surgery.
The Girl With the Needle, Magnus von Horn
A young pregnant factory worker named Karoline becomes a wet nurse for Dagmar to work her way out of poverty. She grows close to the older woman, who owns an adoption agency under the guise of a candy shop but later learns a horrifying truth.
Grand Tour, Miguel Gomes
Set in 1910s Rangoon, Burma, Grand Tour follows the story of civil servant Edward who flees on his wedding day to Molly. The runaway groom begins to contemplate what had become of his intended. On the other hand, Molly, determined to get married, follows Edward.
Kinds of Kindness, Yorgos Lanthimos
One of the most anticipated films from this slate is from Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos.
Kinds of Kindness stars Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willen Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, and Hunter Schafer.
This three-part fable tells the tale of three people: a man who tries to take control of his own life, a policeman whose wife suddenly returns after being missing, and a woman searching for a cult leader.
L’Amour Ouf (Beating Hearts), Gilles Lellouche
Set in 1980s Northern France, this romantic comedy film centers on two characters named Jackie and Clotaire who grew up in the same town, at the same high school, and around the same harbor docks. A romance blossoms between them, yet they gradually grow apart over time. He eventually becomes a criminal and spends 12 years in prison, then they meet again and fall in love.
Limonov: The Ballad, Kirill Serebrennikov
Eduard "Eddie" Limonov is a radical Soviet poet who traveled through Russia, America, and Europe during the latter half of the 20th century.
Marcello Mio, Christophe Honoré
Chiara, an actress and daughter of Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve, decides to live as her father—dressing and speaking like him.
Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola
Megalopolis marks Francis Ford Coppola’s directorial comeback after 13 years. This Roman Epic follows Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), an architect with the power to control time who wants to rebuild the City of New Rome. Against him is corrupt mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) who wants to keep the status quo.
The mayor's daughter Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel) finds herself stuck between the two as she has love for Cesar.
Motel Destino, Karim Aïnouz
The sexually charged Motel Destino is run by Elias and his wife Dayana. Their norm is disrupted upon the arrival of Heraldo, a 21-year-old fleeing a failed assassination attempt.
Oh, Canada, Paul Schrader
Oh, Canada follows Leonard Fife, a documentary filmmaker and an American leftist who escaped to Canada during his youth to evade the Vietnam War draft. Now in Montreal, grappling with cancer in his later years, he gives one last interview, during which he reveals a startling revelation.
The film stars Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, Jacob Elordi, Victoria Hill, and Michael Imperioli.
Parthenope, Paolo Sorrentino
Parthenopem, born in 1950s Naples, looks for happiness and love in her home city, learning about the complexities of relationships along the way.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Mohammad Rasoulof
This film follows Iman, a judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who becomes paranoid amid the political unrest in the country as his gun suddenly disappears.
The Shrouds, David Cronenberg
After his wife's death, Karsh, a successful businessman, develops GraveTech, which lets people monitor their departed loved ones. His wife's grave and several others are desecrated, driving Karsh to track the culprits down.
The Substance, Coralie Fargeat
The director of the film described The Substance as “a feminist take on the body horror movie” and stated that it’s a genre movie that talks about societal issues.
Three Kilometres to the End of the World, Emanuel Parvu
Adi, a gay 17-year-old spending his summer home in a conservative community, gets brutally attacked on the street. His parents' and neighbors' values clash with his journey of self-discovery.
Wild Diamond (Diamant Brut), Agathe Riedinger
The film follows Liane, a bold and fiery 19-year-old, who sees reality TV as her ticket to fame. She gets her chance when she auditions for "Miracle Island."