After just over a week at Cannes, a number of the festival’s most anticipated films with hopes of winning the Palme d’Or have already found homes, and many more are still up for grabs. Because the writer’s and actor’s strikes haven’t affected the market as much as they did last year, businesses like A24, Neon, Apple, and others have grabbed on intriguing bundles of potential future contenders.
We’ve tracked everything that is purchased both during and after the festival down below.
Movies Purchased Throughout the Festival
“Santosh”
Section: Uncertain Regard
Director: Suri Sandhya
Purchaser: Metrograph Pictures
Purchased on May 20
Starring: Sunita Rajwar and Shahana Goswami
Buzz: This police procedural follows a widow who takes over her husband’s role as a police constable and is taken under the wing of a feminist inspector to look into the murder of a girl. Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, who previously won the World Documentary Grand Jury Prise at Sundance for “I For India,” made her narrative feature directorial debut. It was praised as a “master class of subtlety” and a straightforward thriller in IndieWire’s review. There is a plan for a theatrical release, but no date has been set as of yet.
“Light Is All We Can Imagine”
Section: In Rivalry
Payal Kapadia is the director.
Purchaser: Janus Films and Sideshow
Purchased on May 20
Cast: Azees Nedumangad, Hridhu Haroon, Chhaya Kadam, Divya Prabha, and Kani Kusruti
Buzz: Sideshow and Janus Films have bought “All We Imagine As Light,” the first Indian film to be shown in competition in thirty years, in advance of its Thursday debut. Following their prior successes with “Drive My Car” and “EO,” Sideshow and Janus acquired the rights to the Indian drama in North America and are organising a theatrical release. The story of the film, which is set in Mumbai, is on a nurse who gets a present from her estranged spouse and finds herself troubled. One of just four female candidates for the Palme this year, Kapadia made the documentary “A Night of Knowing Nothing” in 2021, which was screened at Director’s Fortnight. Watch the “All We Imagine As Light” trailer by clicking this link.
“Entertainment System Not Working”
Section: Bundle
Director: Östlund Ruben
Purchaser: A24
Date of Purchase: May 19
Samantha Morton, Nicholas Braun, Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Brühl, and Keanu Reeves are among the cast.
Buzz: Ruben Östlund came to Cannes with one of the most desirable packages to be sold at the festival, two years after taking home his second Palme d’Or for “Triangle of Sadness.” In the style of “Triangle of Sadness,” his most recent endeavour, “The Entertainment System Is Down,” seems to be another parody of lavish living. It centres on a group of travellers on a protracted journey who react horrifiedly upon learning that the entertainment system has failed. It has been confirmed by IndieWire that A24 won the film’s rights in Cannes following a fierce bidding war.
“The sacred fig’s seed”
Section: In Rivalry
Mohammad Rasoulof, director
Purchaser: Neon
Purchase Date: May 18
Cast: Amineh Mazroei Arani, Zahra Rostami, and Setareh Abdolmaleki
Buzz: This month, just days before his new film was supposed to have its Cannes premiere, Mohammad Rasoulof, who has been subjected to years of legal harassment by Iranian authorities for his provocative filmmaking, was sentenced to eight years in prison and a flogging. The international film community watched in horror. After a while, he managed to flee Iran, and he intends to attend Cannes with his most recent film, which presents his viewpoint on the harsh legal system there. When it opens on Friday, the picture might be a big contender for the Palme d’Or because of its current relevance.
“The Unknown”
Section: Bundle
Arthur Harari is the director.
Purchaser: Neon
Purchased on May 17
Cast: Léa Seydoux
Buzz: While it seems sense that Neon would want to work with co-writer Yuval Noah Harari again after their successful collaboration on last year’s Palme winner “Anatomy of a Fall,” collaborating with Seydoux is even more intriguing, even if the movie’s plot is still as mysterious as its title. This is the first feature film that Harari has written and directed since “Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle” in 2021. Neon is planning to premiere the movie in theatres in 2026.
“A Snail’s Memoir”
Section: Finalised Market Name
Adam Elliott, director
Purchaser: IFC Films
Date of Purchase: May 16
Cast: Eric Bana, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jacki Weaver, and Sarah Snook
Buzz: “Memoir of a Snail” is the director of the critically acclaimed “Mary and Max” film’s second stop-motion animated feature. Additionally, it marks Sarah Snook’s first animated voice part since the film “Succession.” The movie tells the story of a misfit girl who is lonely and depressed when she and her twin brother part ways.
“Tenzing”
Section: Bundle
Jennifer Peedom is the director.
Purchaser: Apple
Purchased on May 14
Cast: Willem Dafoe, Tom Hiddleston
Buzz: Apple’s global purchase of this Mt. Everest thriller, which tells the true story of Sherpa Tenzing Norgay of Tibet, who, in 1953, after six unsuccessful attempts, became the first person to summit the mountain with New Zealander Edmund Hillary (Hiddleston), was the first competitive deal to come out of the Cannes market. Tenzing’s character is currently being cast. The screenplay for the film was written by Luke Davies (“Lion,” “Beautiful Boy”), and Peedom, who is well-known for her mountaineering documentaries “Sherpa” and “Solo,” is connected to the Tenzing family and Sherpa community.
“Alpha”
Section: Bundle
Julia Ducournau, director
Purchaser: Neon
Purchased on May 14
Cast: Tahar Rahim, Golshifteh Farahani
Buzz: Julia Ducournau’s next feature film, “Alpha,” is a “genre-defying” thriller that is a reunion between the director of “Titane” and Neon. It is set to begin production this fall and was one of IndieWire’s top package titles leading up to the Marché du Film. The global distribution of the film is being handled by Charades and FilmNation Entertainment.
Movies Purchased Prior to the Festival
“The Material”
Section: In Rivalry
With Coralie Fargaet directing
Purchaser: MUBI
Purchased on May 8
Cast: Demi Moore, Dennis Quaid, and Margaret Qualley
Buzz: “The Substance,” a body horror film from the filmmaker of “Revenge,” is one of just four films competing for the Palme that features a female director in 2024. Its enigmatic plot revolves around a ground-breaking new product that promises to make you “younger, more beautiful, more perfect.” “What could go wrong?” is what the summary asks.
“Parthenope”
Section: In Rivalry
Paolo Sorrentino is director.
Purchaser: A24
Date of Purchase: May 3
Gary Oldman in the cast
Buzz: A24 acquired Sorrentino’s seventh competing film more than a week ahead of its festival debut, indicating that the studio was eager to get involved in the Palme d’Or competition. Cinematographer Daria D’antonio, who worked on Sorrentino’s “Hand of God,” shot the movie in Capri and Naples, starring Gary Oldman.
Movies Coming Soon with Distribution
“Anora”
Section: In Rivalry
Sean Baker, director
Supplier: Neon
Cast: Ivy Wolk, Mikey Madison
Buzz: Baker’s ninth movie, which was shot on 35mm, is his second effort to compete for the Palme after 2021’s “Red Rocket.” It is simply described as a story of a sex worker who is also an adventure rom-com.
“Bearings of Compassion”
Section: In Rivalry
Yorgos Lanthimos is the director.
Searchlight Pictures is the distributor.
Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Margaret Qualley, Willem Dafoe, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, and Hunter Schafer are in the cast.
Plans for Release: June 21, 2024
Buzz: Lanthimos’ triptych anthology picture, formerly titled “AND,” is a welcome return for the director to a modern setting, especially for Emma Stone, who just won her second Oscar.
“On Turning Into a Guinea Fowl”
Section: Uncertain Regard
Director: Nyoni Rungano
Distributor: A24
Cast: Phiri, Henry B.J.
Buzz: Rungano Nyoni, the BAFTA winner, is back at Cannes with her second feature film, which was shot in Zambia with support from A24. In 2017, her debut film, “I Am Not a Witch,” was a finalist for the Golden Camera.
“Language for All”
Section: Two Weeks with the Director
Matthew Rankin is the director.
Supplier: Oscilloscope
Buzz: The filmmaker of “The Twentieth Century,” which debuted in 2019, is back with a bizarre comedy that weaves together stories around Winnipeg. He writes, directs, and stars in it as well. The film, according to Aaron Katz, head of acquisitions at Oscilloscope, is “weird and kooky” and resembles an Iranian picture that was actually shot in Canada. As such, it pays respect to Iranian cinema and its auteurs. In addition, it brings O-Scope and Rankin back together and teams him up with a producer who has worked with Xavier Dolan and has experience at Cannes.
“Ernest Cole: Hidden and Discovered”
Section: Exclusive Film Presentations
Raoul Peck is the director.
Magnolia Pictures, distributor
Cast: LaKeith Stanfield, who provided Ernest Cole’s voice
Synopsis: Originally selected as a package at last year’s Cannes, Magnolia is now releasing Raoul Peck’s “I Am Not Your Negro,” a documentary on the Black freelance photographer Ernest Cole. In addition to uncovering 60,000 of Cole’s 35mm film negatives that were previously believed to be lost, the film chronicles how Cole fled South Africa in 1966 and sought exile in the United States, where he went on to become a pivotal figure in shooting New York City and the American South, inspiring him to publish his book “House of Bondage.”
“Rumours”
Section: Not in Contest
Guy Maddin, Galen Johnson, and Evan Johnson directed.
Wholesaler: Bleecker Street
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Alicia Vikander
Buzz: Executive producer Ari Aster called Maddin’s “Rumours” “stoopid, hilarious, and wonderful,” implying that it belongs more on the Croisette than at TIFF. This is, remarkably, the quirky Canadian filmmaker’s first official voyage to Cannes.
“A Story of America: Horizon”
Section: Not in Contest
Kevin Costner, director
Publisher: Warner Bros. Images
Cast: Dale Dickey, Michael Angarano, Jena Malone, Sam Worthington, Sienna Miller, and Kevin Costner
Plans for Release: June 28, 2024
Buzz: Costner is returning to Cannes with his long-awaited Western passion project, marking 20 years since his last visit. The two movies that are slated for release this summer will both have screenings during the festival.
“Furiosa: The Crazy Max Story”
Section: Not in Contest
George Miller is the director.
Publisher: Warner Bros. Images
Plans for Release: May 24, 2024
Chris Hemsworth and Anya Taylor-Joy in the cast
Buzz: Although we would have loved to see George Miller compete with “Furiosa,” we’re nevertheless glad to see some serious destruction on the Croisette. The film is experiencing incredible early buzz.
Nice One
Section: Two Weeks with the Director
India Donaldson is the director.
Metrograph Pictures is the distributor.
Lily Colias in the cast
Buzz: Earlier this year, this family drama and coming-of-age tale set during a camping journey through the wilderness made its competitive debut at Sundance. The trailer was leaked exclusively to IndieWire before to its Cannes premiere.
“Anzu the Ghost Cat”
Section: Two Weeks with the Director
Yôko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita were the directors.
Supplier: GKIDS
Buzz: An 11-year-old girl is forced to live with her grandfather, a monk who asks his ghost cat to look after her. This Japanese anime first screened as a work-in-progress at the Annecy Film Festival last year.
