It is a tradition that I long ago got tired of: wake up early on an April morning to see how few female filmmakers had made it to Kanes‘Competition section. For a long time, the festival seemed intended (or worse, depending on how you see it) to stay out with only four films directed or co -directed by women in the section. Hell, Cannes didn’t even program four competition titles from women to 2011 (The year after the milestone, 2012, no Women entered the section). And yes, it happened to Last year’s editionthat included four female directors again.
There have been bright spots on the road, as 2023’s record -breaking racing lineupwhich included seven films directed by women in an area of 21, plus a possible Palme d’Or Win for Justine Triet (Only the third woman who won the festival’s top prize).
Today? Another bright placeWith six (!!) female directors who have so far been announced, plus a festival opener outside the competition directed by a woman (Amélie Bonnin’s “Leave One Day”), with festival director Thierry Frémaux which promises that more films will be announced in the coming days.
The other female directed films include new features from Cannes regulars Kelly Reichardt (“The Mastermind”) and Julia Ducouruu (“Alpha”), plus Mascha Schilinski (the buzia “the sound of falling”, formerly the title “The Doctor Say”, but I’m Fe’m Fe’m Fe’m Fe’m Fe’m Fe’m Fe’m Fe’m Fe’m Fe’m Fe’m Fe’m Fe’m Feel Be Alright, Men I’M Feel Be Alright, Men I’M Feel. Petite “,” The Doctor says I will be okay, but I feel blue “), Hafsia hero (” Renoir “) and Carla Simón (” Romania “).
In Recent Years, Films Directed by Women have tests to be some of the best and buzziest of the festival, like triet’s Palme d’Or-Winning (and Oscar-Winning) “Anatomy of a Fall,” Coralie Fargeat’s Juicy (and, “Oscurna)” d’Or-winning “Titane,” and more.
As so often must be repeated in stories like this one does not ask for special treatment or simple breaks, but the festival’s resistance to admit that some of the cinema’s most exciting (and Good) movies come from Female filmmakers has long been missing. Movies such as the triet, Fargeat and Ducourus’s latest Cannes posts could only have been made by them. So yeah they could have only been made by women.
Does it change? Is the success of the triet, Fargeat, Ducounau and others too difficult to deny? We certainly believe it, and today’s party of new films proves it. Is there another female Palme d’Or winner in the group? We’ll find out in May.
It has really been taken long enough already. Think of a little more history: Between 2016-2018, only three female filmmakers made it in competition each year; In 2019, the festival again noted four female directors in the competition. (The festival was canceled in 2020. Although festival brass announced which films would have been programmed, Covid Pandemic had not increased the world, they did not use the usual designations for these films and there was no “competition section.”) Enough.
As previously reported, year of the year The President of the Main Competition jury will be Juliette Binochewhich will monitor the choice of Palme d’Or and other festival prices along with a jury that is not yet announced. In a rare passing of the torch, the Binoche takes the position from another woman, last year’s President Greta Gerwig. (The only second time this happened: Sophia Loren, 1966 The president of the jury, succeeded in 1965’s Olivia de Havilland.) This year’s festival will go on May 13-24 2025.
Below you can get a better idea of how massive today’s announcement is, when we look back and compare five years of female targeted films in the competition section.
2025
Total films in the competition section directed or cooperated by women: 6
Percentage of sections: From this writing, 31.57 (with more films to be announced)
Directors: Kelly Reichardt, Julia Ducurnou, Mascha Schilinski, Hafsia Herzi, Chie Hayakawa, Carla Simón
Winning at the festival: TBD
Notable winnings in addition to the festival: TBD
2024
Total films in the competition section directed or co -directed by women: 4
Percentage of Section: 18.18
Directors: Payal Kapadia, Andrea Arnold, Coralie Fargeat, Agathe Riedinger
Wines at Festival: Grand Prix (Kapadia, “Everything we imagine as easy”), Best script (Fargeat, “The Substance”)
Other acknowledgments of Note: Fargaet’s “The Substance” was nominated for 5 Oscars (including best director and best original script) and won 1
2023
Total films in the competition section Directed or co -directed by women: 7 (for the first time ever, current high mark)
Percentage of sections: 33.3
Directors: Justine Triet, Ramata-Touulaye Sy, Alice Rohrwacher, Jessica Hausner, Kaouther Ben Hania, Catherine Corsini, Catherine Breillat
Wines at the festival: Palme d’Or (triet, “Anatomy of a case”), third woman to win
Other recognition of Note: Triet’s “Anatomy of A Fall” was nominated for 5 Oscars (including best picture and best director) and won 1 (best original script)
2022
Total films in the competition section directed or cooperated by women: 5 (for the first time ever)
Percentage of section: 23.8
Directors: Claire Denis, Kelly Reichardt, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Charlotte Vandermeersch, Léonor Serraille
Wines at Festival: Grand Prix (Denis, “Stars at Noon”), Jury Prize (Vandermeersch, “The Eight Mountains”)
Other acknowledgments of Note: Reichardt’s “Dise Up” won Robert Altman -Award at Indie Spirits
2021
Total films in the competition section directed or co -directed by women: 4
Percentage of sections: 16.6
Directors: Iildikó Enyedi, Mia Hansen-Løve, Catherine Corsini, Julia Ducounau
Wines at the festival: Palme d’Or (Ducournau, “Titane”), other woman to win
Other recognitions of note: “Titane” film creator Ducounau was nominated as the best director at BAftas, the movie was also nominated for five European film awards and won 1
