The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled its lineup for this year's edition, featuring 21 films in competition for the Palme d'Or prize. Notably, major Hollywood studios are absent from the selection, marking a departure from previous editions.
Festival director Thierry Fremaux emphasized the focus on 'gentleness, songs, and nature' in this year's films, which he believes will serve as a form of escapism from the grim reality of current affairs.
Among the frontrunners for the top prize are Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda with AI-themed 'Sheep in the Box,' Romanian director Cristian Mungiu with 'Fjord,' and Russian auteur Andrey Zvyagintsev with 'Minotaur.'
Other notable films include Pedro Almodovar's 'Amarga Navidad' and exiled Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi's 'Histoires Paralleles.'
Fremaux attributed the reduced presence of Hollywood studios to a shift towards streaming and home entertainment, with many Western films now serving as a form of escapism.
Out of competition, the festival will feature a surprising amount of football documentaries, including films about Eric Cantona and the England-Argentina 1986 World Cup match.
