The 72nd Cannes Film Festival is announcing the films chosen for “official selection” — including those competing for the event’s coveted Palme d’Or prize — in a press conference Thursday starting at 11 a.m. in Paris.
The livestream of the press conference is available here. (Please note that the broadcast seldom starts on time.)
Last year, Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux surprised many by selecting fewer of the older, established auteurs than expected, in order to make room for rising talents, including a debut film from an emerging Egyptian director (“Yomeddine”); cutting-edge queer cinema (“Knife + Heart”); a batch of strong Asian entries; and three films made by women.
What will this year’s edition hold? This much we already know: The festival will open with Jim Jarmusch’s zombie satire “The Dead Don’t Die,” with Bill Murray, Chloe Sevigny, and Adam Driver, as Variety exclusively revealed. Elton John biopic “Rocketman” will screen out of competition on day three of the festival.
Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is expected to compete, but may not be part of Thursday’s announcement. (Last year, several of the most anticipated titles, including Lars Von Trier’s “The House That Jack Built,” were announced a full week after the press conference.)
Alejandro G. Iñárritu serves as president of the festival’s official competition jury this year. The 2019 Cannes Film Festival kicks off on May 14 and concludes on May 25.