From an empty movie theater in Paris, organizers of the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday announced the films that would have played at there in May had it not been canceled by the pandemic.
The selections were an exercise in what-might-have-been for Cannes, the premier international film festival that for the last 73 years has been the most prestigious and glitzy annual gathering of the global movie industry. The French festival, originally slated for mid-May, initially considered postponing to July but ultimately gave up on a 2020 edition.
Hearing what would have premiered on the Crosiette this year offered a tantalizing picture of a canceled Cannes. Two films by “12 Years a Slave” filmmaker Steve McQueen — “Mangrove” and “Lover’s Rock” — had been headed to Cannes, said festival director Thierry Fremaux, as was Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” and Pete Docter’s Pixar film “Soul.”
Fremaux announced 56 movies that were selected from a record 2,067 submissions that poured in despite the health crisis. “I can see that film is alive and kicking,” said Fremaux, sitting on the stage of the UGC Normandie cinema in Paris alongside president Pierre Lescure.
The selection announcement, usually made in an April press conference before teaming throngs of international journalists, was instead presented during a TV interview that aired on Canal Plus. Lescure noted the unprecedented situation had some upside: It was much quieter and Fremaux didn’t have to fend off questions from various nations whose films were overlooked.
Fremaux didn’t distinguish between which films had been slated for its main selection, in which some 20-25 films compete for the Palme d’Or, the Un Certain Regard sidebar or out-of-competition premieres. Some films, he noted, opted to wait until next year’s Cannes.
The announced selection included 16 films directed by women, an increase of two from 2019. Cannes, where only one female filmmaker (Jane Campion) has ever won the Palme, has often come under criticism for not selecting more movies directed by women.
Spike Lee, whose previous film “BlacKKKlansman” premiered at Cannes, had been set to preside over the jury that would select Cannes’ top prize. Last year, it went to Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” which went on to win best picture at the Academy Awards.
“This time, everyone will be able to give his or her own Palme d’Or,” Fremaux said.
Also among the selections: Francois Ozon’s “Summer of ‘85”; Naomi Kawase’s “True Mothers”; Hong Sang-soo’s “Heaven”; Thomas Vinterberg’s “Another Round”; Maïwenn’s “DNA”; and Sang-ho Yeon’s “Peninsula.”
The films will be able to brand themselves as part of the official 2020 Cannes Film Festival selection. If accepted elsewhere, the films can still have their premieres at other fall festivals — should they happen — like those in Toronto, Telluride, New York and San Sebastian. The Cannes label will be particularly helpful for films from lesser-known filmmakers; 15 of the films announced Wednesday were directorial debuts.
“We will support them,” said Fremaux. “Their names are on the map now.”
Here’s a rundown of the fest lineup:
THE FAITHFUL
(or at least selected once before)
THE FRENCH DISPATCH by Wes Anderson (USA) - 1h43
Production : INDIAN PAINTBRUSH PRODUCTIONS / AMERICAN EMPIRICAL PICTURES - International Sales : FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES - French Distribution : THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
ÉTÉ 85 by François Ozon (France) - 1h40
Production : MANDARIN - International Sales : PLAYTIME - French Distribution : DIAPHANA
ASA GA KURU (True Mothers) by Naomi Kawase (Japan) - 2h20
Production : KINO FILMS CO - International Sales : PLAYTIME - French Distribution : HAUT ET COURT
LOVERS ROCK by Steve McQueen (United Kingdom) - 1h08
Production : TURBINE STUDIOS LIMITED - International Sales : TURBINE STUDIOS LIMITED
MANGROVE by Steve McQueen (United Kingdom) - 2h04
Production : TURBINE STUDIOS LIMITED - International Sales : TURBINE STUDIOS LIMITED
DRUK (Another Round) by Thomas Vinterberg - (Danemark) - 1h55
Production : ZENTROPA - International Sales : TRUSTNORDISK - French Distribution : HAUT ET COURT
ADN (DNA) by Maïwenn (France / Algeria) - 1h30
Production : WHY NOT PRODUCTIONS - International Sales : WILD BUNCH INTERNATIONAL - French Distribution : WILD BUNCH INTERNATIONAL
LAST WORDS by Jonathan Nossiter (USA) - 2h06
Production : STEMAL - International Sales : THE PARTY FILMS
HEAVEN: TO THE LAND OF HAPPINESS by IM Sang-Soo (South Korea) - 1h40
Production : HIVE MEDIA CORP - International Sales : FINECUT
EL OLVIDO QUE SEREMOS (Forgotten we’ll be) by Fernando Trueba (Spain) - 2h16
Production : CARACOL TELEVISION - International Sales : FILM FACTORY ENTERTAINMENT
PENINSULA by YEON Sang-Ho (South Korea) - 1h54
Production : REDPETER FILMS - International Sales : CONTENTS PANDA - French Distribution : ARP SELECTION
IN THE DUSK (Au crépuscule) by Sharunas BARTAS (Lituania) - 2h06
Production : KINOELEKTRON - International Sales : LUXBOX
DES HOMMES (Home Front) by Lucas BELVAUX - (Belgium) - 1h40
Production : SYNECDOCHE - International Sales : WILD BUNCH INTERNATIONAL - French Distribution : AD VITAM
THE REAL THING by Kôji Fukada (Japan) - 3h48
Production : NAGOYA TV - International Sales : NAGOYA TV
THE NEWCOMERS
PASSION SIMPLE by Danielle Arbid (Lebanon) - 1h36
Production : LES FILMS PELLÉAS - International Sales : PYRAMIDE INTERNATIONAL - French Distribution : PYRAMIDE DISTRIBUTION
A GOOD MAN by Marie Castille Mention-Schaar (France) - 1h47
Production : WILLOW FILMS - International Sales : PYRAMIDE INTERNATIONAL - French Distribution : PYRAMIDE DISTRIBUTION
LES CHOSES QU’ON DIT, LES CHOSES QU’ON FAIT by Emmanuel Mouret (France) - 2h
Production : MOBY DICK FILMS - International Sales : ELLE DRIVER - French Distribution : PYRAMIDE DISTRIBUTION
SOUAD by Ayten Amin (Egypt) - 1h30
Production : VIVID REELS
LIMBO by Ben Sharrock (United Kingdom) - 1h53
Production : CARAVAN CINEMA LTD - International Sales : PROTAGONIST PICTURES
ROUGE (Red Soil) by Farid Bentoumi (France) - 1h26
Production : LES FILMS VELVET - International Sales : WTFILMS - French Distribution : AD VIT
SWEAT by Magnus Von Horn (Sweden) - 1h40
Production : LAVA FILMS - International Sales : NEW EUROPE FILM INTERNATIONAL SALES
TEDDY by Ludovic et Zoran Boukherma (France) - 1h28
Production : BAXTER FILMS - International Sales : WTFILMS - French Distribution : THE JOKERS FILMS
FEBRUARY (Février) by Kamen Kalev (Bulgaria) - 2h05
Production : KORO FILMS - French Distribution : UFO DISTRIBUTION
AMMONITE by Francis Lee (United Kingdom) - 2h
Production : SEE-SAW FILMS - International Sales : CROSS CITY FILMS - French Distribution : PYRAMIDE DISTRIBUTION
UN MÉDECIN DE NUIT by Elie Wajeman (France) - 1h40
Production : PARTIZAN FILMS - International Sales : BE FOR FILMS - French Distribution : DIAPHANA DISTRIBUTION
ENFANT TERRIBLE by Oskar Roehler (Germany) - 2h14
Production : BAVARIA FILMPRODUKTION - International Sales : BAVARIA FILMPRODUKTION
NADIA, BUTTERFLY by Pascal Plante (Canada) - 1h46
Production : NEMESIS FILMS - International Sales : WAZABI FILMS
HERE WE ARE by Nir Bergman (Israel) - 1h34
Production : SPIRO FILMS - International Sales : MK2 FILMS
AN OMNIBUS FILM
SEPTET: THE STORY OF HONG KONG by Ann Hui, Johnnie TO, Tsui Hark, Sammo Hung, Yuen Woo-Ping et Patrick Tam (Hong Kong) - 1h53
Production : MILKYWAY IMAGE - International Sales : MEDIA ASIA DISTRIBUTION
THE FIRST FEATURES
FALLING by Viggo Mortensen (USA) - 1h52
Production : PERCIVAL PICTURES - International Sales : HANWAY FILMS - French Distribution : METROPOLITAN FILMEXPORT
PLEASURE by Ninja Thyberg (Sweden) - 1h45
Production : PLATTFORM PRODUKTION - International Sales : VERSATILE
SLALOM by Charlène Favier (France) - 1h32
Production : MILLE ET UNE PRODUCTIONS - International Sales : THE PARTY FILM INTERNATIONAL SALES - French Distribution : JOUR2FÊTE
CASA DE ANTIGUIDADES (Memory House) by Joao Paulo Miranda Maria (Brazil) - 1h27
Production : MANEKI FILMS
BROKEN KEYS (Fausse note) by Jimmy Keyrouz (Lebanon) - 1h30
Production : EZEKIEL
IBRAHIM by Samir Guesmi (France) - 1h20
Production : WHY NOT PRODUCTIONS - International Sales : WILD BUNCH INTERNATIONAL- French Distribution : WILD BUNCH INTERNATIONAL
BEGINNING (Au commencement) by Déa Kulumbegashvili (Georgia) - 2h10
Production : FIRST PICTURE / O.F.A - International Sales : WILD BUNCH INTERNATIONAL
GAGARINE by Fanny Liatard et Jérémy Trouilh (France) - 1h35
Production : HAUT ET COURT - International Sales : TOTEM FILMS - French Distribution : HAUT ET COURT
16 PRINTEMPS by Suzanne Lindon (France) - 1h13
Production : AVENUE B PRODUCTIONS - International Sales : LUXBOX - French Distribution : PANAME DISTRIBUTION
VAURIEN by Peter Dourountzis (France) - 1h35
Production : 10:15 PRODUCTIONS - International Sales : KINOLOGY - French Distribution : REZO FILMS
GARÇON CHIFFON by Nicolas Maury (France) - 1h48
Production : CG CINEMA - International Sales : LES FILMS DU LOSANGE - French Distribution : LES FILMS DU LOSANGE
SI LE VENT TOMBE (Should the Wind Fall) by Nora Martirosyan (Armenia) - 1h40
Production : SISTER PRODUCTIONS - International Sales : INDIE INTERNATIONAL SALES - French Distribution : ROUGE DISTRIBUTION
JOHN AND THE HOLE by Pascual Sisto (USA) - 1h38
Production : MUTRESSA MOVIES
STRIDING INTO THE WIND (Courir au gré du vent) by WEI Shujun (China) - 2h36
Production : ALIBABA PICTURES
THE DEATH OF CINEMA AND MY FATHER TOO (La Mort du cinéma et de mon père aussi) by Dani Rosenberg (Israel) - 1h40
Production : PARDES FILMS - International Sales : FILMS BOUTIQUE
3 DOCUMENTARY FILMS
EN ROUTE POUR LE MILLIARD (The Billion Road) by Dieudo Hamadi - (Democratic Republic of Congo) - 1h30
Production : LES FILMS DE L’OEIL SAUVAGE - International Sales : ANDANA FILMS
THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS by Michael Dweck et Gregory Kershaw (USA) - 1h24
Production : GO GIGI GO PRODUCTIONS LLC - International Sales : SONY PICTURES CLASSICS - French Distribution : SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
9 JOURS A RAQQA by Xavier de Lauzanne - (France) - 1h30
Production : ALOEST FILMS
5 COMEDY FILMS
ANTOINETTE DANS LES CÉVÈNNES by Caroline Vignal (France) - 1h35
Production : CHAPKA FILMS - International Sales : PLAYTIME - French Distribution : DIAPHANA DISTRIBUTION
LES DEUX ALFRED by Bruno Podalydès (France) - 1h30
Production : WHY NOT PRODUCTIONS - French Distribution : UGC DISTRIBUTION
UN TRIOMPHE (The big hit) by Emmanuel Courcol (France) - 1h40
Production : AGAT FILMS & CIE - International Sales : MK2 FILMS - French Distribution : MEMENTO FILMS DISTRIBUTION
L’ORIGINE DU MONDE by Laurent Lafitte (France) - 1st film
Production : TRESOR FILMS - International Sales : STUDIO CANAL - French Distribution : STUDIO CANAL
LE DISCOURS by Laurent Tirard (France) - 1h27
Production : LES FILMS SUR MESURE - International Sales : CHARADES - French Distribution : LE PACTE
4 ANIMATED FILMS
AYA TO MAJO (Earwig and the Witch) by Gorô Miyazaki (Japan) - 1h22
Production : NHK / NHK ENTERPRISES / STUDIO GHIBLI - International Sales : WILD BUNCH INTERNATIONAL - French Distribution : WILD BUNCH
FLEE by Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Denmark) - 1h30
Production : FINAL CUT FOR REAL - International Sales : CINEPHIL
JOSEP by Aurel (France) - 1h20 - 1st film
Production : LES FILMS D’ICI - International Sales : DOC & FILM INTERNATIONAL - French Distribution : SOPHIE DULAC DISTRIBUTION
SOUL by Pete Docter (USA) - 1h30
Production : PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS - French Distribution : THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY