Highlights from the 2024 Cannes Film Festival: Key Films, Directors, and Industry Trends

The 2024 Cannes Film Festival begins with a star-studded line-up, including appearances by Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lawrence, and Tom Cruise. Cannes, known for launching Oscar contenders, features several films aiming for future awards success. Notable entries for the Palme d’Or include Lynne Ramsay’s adaptation of ‘Die My Love’ and Wes Anderson’s ensemble-packed ‘The Phoenician Scheme’. Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone also star in Ari Aster’s pandemic-era dark comedy Western, ‘Eddington’. The jury, led by Juliette Binoche, includes Halle Berry and Jeremy Strong.

This year sees an increase in actors transitioning into directing. Johansson debuts with ‘Eleanor the Great’, while Kristen Stewart and Harris Dickinson also showcase directorial projects in the Un Certain Regard section. High-profile appearances include Robert De Niro receiving an honorary Palme d’Or, and Spike Lee’s ‘Highest 2 Lowest’, a modern retelling of Kurosawa’s ‘High and Low’.

The festival also highlights documentaries, including pieces on the war in Gaza, Julian Assange, Bono, and George Orwell. Social and political issues will have a strong presence, particularly with Gerard Depardieu’s trial verdict potentially impacting the event’s opening. Discussions on Trump’s proposed tariffs on foreign films may also dominate red carpet discourse.