The Film Fest Triple Crown: Who's Next?

by Cláudio Alves

Juliette Binoche's jury made history when they gave Jafar Panahi the Palme d'Or.

One month ago, Jafar Panahi took the Palme d'Or at Cannes for It Was Just an Accident and thus became the fourth director to win top honors from the Croisette, the Berlinale, and the Venice Film Festival. The Iranian master joins the ranks of Henri-Georges Clouzot, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Robert Altman. However. If you exclude ties and those cineastes who won two prizes for the same film, then Panahi and Antonioni are in an exclusive club of two. Inspired by Eric Blume's musings on the Triple Crown of Acting – Oscar, Tony, and Emmy – I started to ask myself what other filmmakers are close to achieving the same Palm, Golden Lion, and Bear combo. Who's next? The answers might surprise you…

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Cannes Diary 04: Ari Aster's "Eddington" is uncomfortably contemporary

by Elisa Giudici

In Eddington, Ari Aster brings his signature excesses and flaws, yet, as always, these are interwoven with genuine strokes of genius, his remarkable visual talent, and a flair for the audacious. Eddington is set to be divisive, much like his previous film Beau is Afraid, though it's arguably more focused and sharp, albeit still far from perfect.

The very fabric of Eddington makes it incendiary, divisive, and ultimately, a tough nut to crack. Set in the fictional New Mexico town of its title, it's an uneven but admirable attempt to take a genre deeply rooted in the past -- the Watern -- and use its tropes and language to narrate our present. Naturally then we get the classic standoff as well as  reaking shop sign swinging in a desert landscape. The shop is actually a gun store, from which the protagonist will emerge armed with both an automatic rifle and a smartphone. Because today, vigilantes and criminals alike carry a lens ready to film themselves or to be pointed in others' faces, like a weapon...

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Cannes Diary 02: On the side of Tom Cruise

by Elisa Giudici

From a revealing and free-flowing conversation at Cannes today, the impression I got of Christopher McQuarrie,the acclaimed writer-director and creative force behind many of Tom Cruise's biggest hits, was of a compelling and fascinating personality. What emerged was a portrait of a man unflinchingly candid, at times almost brutal in detailing his own perceived limitations and failures, who also spoke with deep loyalty about Cruise, the figure he credits as the enabler of his remarkable career.

Here are 8 key insights from his remarks:

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Cannes Diary 01: Jury Duty

by Elisa Giudici

Jury president Juliette Binoche. Photo © Elisa Giudici

A tense, and occasionally frosty, atmosphere marked the opening press conference of the 78th Cannes Film Festival. Jury members, especially President Juliette Binoche, faced numerous political questions, including sensitive topics like potential film tariffs, Donald Trump, and the ongoing events in Gaza.

In a departure from some past years, however, the jurors appeared more reserved and less willing to engage extensively on all topics. Below are the most relevant highlights from this initial conference, as well as some photos I shot, which provide an early look at the lauded artists preparing to watch all the films in competition and decide the Palme d'Or...

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Cannes 2025: Ducournau returns and Spike Lee plays Out of Competition

by Cláudio Alves

HIGHEST 2 LOWEST will bring Denzel Washington to Cannes for the first time since 1993.

Thierry Frémaux and company have announced the 78th Cannes Film Festival lineup, with many familiar faces returning to the Main Competition. Former Palme d'Or victors Julia Ducournau and the Dardenne brothers are back in the race, while Golden Bear champion Carla Simón will present her first feature since Alcarràs took Berlin by storm. Speaking of the German fest, Richard Linklater just directed Andrew Scott to an award there and will now bow his Nouvelle Vague at the Croisette. Juliette Binoche will preside over the jury to decide these filmmakers' fates, but we're still awaiting updates regarding the other jurors.

Our own Elisa Giudici will be on the ground covering the fest for The Film Experience as she's been doing for the past few years. I'll try to offer another edition of Cannes at Home for those battling cinephile FOMO. In any case, here's the full Main Competition slate Elisa will be considering in a month's time…

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