- 11 feature films selected, 6 directed by women.
- Sean Baker-produced Left-Handed Girl among competition titles.
- Belgium and France dominate production credits this year.
Cannes Critics’ Week 2025 returns with a striking and diverse lineup spotlighting bold new voices in cinema. Curated by artistic director Ava Cahen and her team, this 64th edition celebrates first and second-time filmmakers. It focuses on emotionally resonant, stylistically daring stories.
Opening with Adam’s Interest by Belgium’s Laura Wandel and closing with Momoko Seto’s experimental animation Dandelion’s Odyssey. This year’s sidebar explores themes of motherhood, migration, grief, identity, and even eco-conscious futurism.
From Dandelions to Driving Tests: Critics’ Week Unleashes Cinema’s Next Wave
One of the most anticipated entries is Left-Handed Girl, a co-write by Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou. They return to fiction after their acclaimed collaboration Take Out. Set in Taipei’s bustling night market, it’s a layered family drama rooted in cultural memory and resilience. Meanwhile, Thailand’s A Useful Ghost infuses reincarnation, satire, and household appliances into a fresh cinematic hybrid.
French cinema has a strong showing, particularly through debut directors like Pauline Loquès (Nino) and Alexe Poukine (Kika). Their works center deeply personal turning points in their protagonists’ lives. The documentary Imago by Chechen filmmaker Déni Oumar Pitsaev offers a rare autobiographical glimpse into building a life. It spans both literally and metaphorically along the borderlands of Chechnya and Georgia.
Momoko Seto’s Dandelion’s Odyssey offers a wordless journey of plants and mushrooms through post-nuclear landscapes. It is a poetic yet visually radical closer for the program. This shift toward environmental storytelling through animation mirrors a growing international trend. Nature becomes both character and context.
In addition to the powerful films, this year’s jury, led by Rodrigo Sorogoyen and joined by talents like Daniel Kaluuya and Josée Deshaies, mirrors the diversity and creative breadth of the selection. Their collective eye will help spotlight rising talents. These talents are likely to follow in the footsteps of alumni like Julia Ducournau and Hafsia Herzi.
Cannes Critics’ Week 2025 reinforces its status as a global launchpad for new cinematic talent. It brings emotionally rich, risk-taking stories to the forefront of the festival scene.
“We discover a film and meet the filmmaker behind it and try to see beyond that.” — Ava Cahen, Artistic Director
