Overview
- The 79th edition opened Tuesday as Jane Fonda and Gong Li declared the festival underway, Peter Jackson received an honorary Palme, and La Vénus Électrique launched the screenings.
- South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook chairs the international jury, which includes Demi Moore, Stellan Skarsgård and Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao.
- Twenty-two films are in competition for the Palme d'Or, including three German-language entries, with James Gray’s Paper Tiger added late to the lineup.
- Major Hollywood studios are largely absent, a gap festival director Thierry Frémaux and industry watchers tie to U.S. production strains and a move toward influencer marketing over risky festival premieres.
- Only five competition titles are directed by women, prompting renewed criticism after Frémaux again rejected a quota, even as juries and leadership cite gender parity.