For several weeks now, big names like Michael Haneke, Sofia Coppola, Michel Hazanavicius, Bong Joon-Ho and Jacques Doillon have all been tipped for the lineup of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. But one surprise this year is the inclusion of two TV series in the the official selection, for the first time in the festival's history.
In a big first for Cannes, two TV shows make their appearance in the official selection. Attendees will be lucky enough to view two episodes of "Twin Peaks", David Lynch's cult TV series, which is set to return to the small screen on May 21 on the Showtime channel. The second season of "Top of the Lake" by Jane Campion, the only female director to have won the Palme d'Or, will be screened in its entirety.
Another new aspect this year is the inclusion of Netflix. Two films from the streaming service will be brought to the competition: Bong Joon-Ho's "Okja", which will launch on Netflix on June 28, and Noah Baumbach's "The Meyerowitz Stories", which does not have a release date as yet.
The General Delegate, Thierry Frémaux, said that 1,930 films were viewed in preparation for the 70th edition of the festival. A total of 49 were selected, including 18 in the official competition, from 29 different countries. Nine of these are first films and 12 have female directors.
The Cannes heavyweights
One of the women at the forefront this year will be Sofia Coppola. After "Marie-Antoinette" and "The Bling Ring", she will return to the Croisette with "The Beguiled", a film which will reunite Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman. The duo will also star in "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" by Greek director Yorgos Lanthinos, who stood out at Cannes 2015 with "The Lobster". Other female directors in the competition include Naomi Kawase from Japan, returning to the red carpet with "Hikari", and British director Lynne Ramsey, who will be accompanied by Joaquin Phoenix for "You Were Never Really Here".
The most talked-about filmmaker might well be the Austrian Michael Haneke, who is slated to win his third Palme d'or following "The White Ribbon" in 2009 and "Amour" three years later. "Happy Ending", his latest work, stars Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Matthieu Kassovitz.
French films on offer
Four French films will compete this year, down one from 2016. Confirming press rumors in recent weeks, Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist") will unveil his new film "Le Redoutable". François Ozon's "L'Amant double", reuniting Marine Vacth, Jérémie Renier and Jacqueline Bisset, Jacques Doillon's "Rodin", a biopic of the French sculptor, and Robin Campillo's "120 Beats per Minute" with Adèle Haenel are also in competition.
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