Only 3 Films by Female Directors in Cannes Competition Lineup Despite 2018 Gender Parity Pledge

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorMenemsha Films has taken distribution rights in North America to Thomas Roth’s drama “Schaechten – A Retribution” in a deal with Berlin-based sales company Picture Tree Intl. PTI has debuted the film’s trailer, and will hold an invitation-only private screening of the film for buyers in Cannes.Neil Friedman, president of Menemsha Films, said: “The film ‘Schaechten’ is a true discovery.

The Cannes Film Festival has set its lineup for this year’s Cannes Classics program, which shines a spotlight on restorations of classic movies and features contemporary documentaries about film. Kicking off the sidebar is Jean Eustache’s controversial film The Mother and the Whore, the 1973 Cannes Grand Prize winner which incited riots at the time. Also included in the program are films by Vittorio de Sica (Sciuscià), Satyajit Ray (The Adversary), Orson Welles (The Trial) and Martin Scorsese (The Last Waltz), as well as a new 4K master of Singin’ in the Rain to mark the movie’s 70th anniversary.

Did you know that despite having a career that has spanned four decades, celebrated French filmmaker Claire Denis has only had four of her films ever premiere at the Cannes Film Festival? And it’s been 24 years since Denis had a film debut in competition—1998’s “Chocolat” with Isaach de Bankolé. That finally changes this spring when Denis’ new film, “Stars At Noon” premieres and puts her back in the competition frame.

Limp Bizkit’s ‘Still Sucks’ tour was cancelled over the weekend due to venue concerns about “possible chaos”.The nu-metal group were meant to play in Florida on Saturday night (April 30) but shortly before doors, the gig was cancelled.Taking to social media, Limp Bizkit wrote: “We are so sorry. Tonight’s show cancellation was not our decision.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Decision to Leave,” the detective mystery by Korean director Park Chan-wook that will debut in competition in Cannes next month, is to be given theatrical releases in the U.S. and U.K.

EXCLUSIVE: Park Chan-wook’s anticipated Cannes Competition title Decision To Leave has sold to arthouse streamer, theatrical distributor and producer Mubi in what we understand to be the company’s biggest film deal to date.

Zack Sharf Italian director, actor and producer Valeria Golino will serve as the president of the jury for this year’s Un Certain Regard sidebar at the Cannes Film Festival. Golino follows in the footsteps of last year’s jury president Andrea Arnold.

After what was rumored to be a long search, Thierry Fremaux has found his president for the 2022 Cannes Film Festival Jury. Legendary French actor Vincent Lindon, who starred in last year’s Palme d’Or winner, “Titane,” will take the mantle following Spike Lee‘s reign last year.

The 2022 edition of the Cannes Film Festival will include a record number of films directed or co-directed by female filmmakers, one year after Julia Ducouranu’s “Titane” took home the festival’s top award.

Martin Scorsese’s nonprofit The Film Foundation is launching a free virtual screening room to showcase restored films starting May 9 with I Know Where I’m Going!.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItaly’s True Colours has taken world sales on Italian director Mario Martone’s Cannes competition entry “Nostalgia,” starring Pierfrancesco Favino, who is known to Cannes audiences as the protagonist of Marco Bellocchio’s 2019 drama “The Traitor.”Set in Martone’s native Naples, “Nostalgia” sees Favino play the middle-aged Felice Lasco, who returns to the bustling port city after having lived in Egypt for 40 years. Once back, he drowns into the memories of a distant life he spent in hometown.Martone will be returning to a Cannes competition berth with “Nostalgia” 27 years after his Elena Ferrante adaptation “L’amore molesto” (“Troubling Love”) launched in competition from the Croisette in 1995.

Main Competition“Le Otto Montagne,” Charlotte Vandermeersch and Felix Van Groeningen“Un Petit Frere,” Leonor Serraile“Tourment sur les Isles,” Albert SerraCannes Premiere“Don Juan,” Serge Bozon“La Nuit du 12,” Dominik Moll“Chronique d’une Liaison Passagere,” Emmanuel MouretMidnight Screenings“Rebel,” Adil El Arbi, Bilall FallahUn Certain Regard“Plus Que Jamais,” Emily Atef“Mediterranean Fever,” Maha Haj“Le Blue du Caftan,” Maryam Touzani“Harka,” Lofty Nathan (first film)Out of Competition“L’Innocent,” Louis GarrellSpecial Screenings“Mi Pias Imaginario,” Patricio Guzman (documentary)“The Vagabonds,” Doroteya Droumeva (first film)“Riposte Feministe,” Marie Perennes, Simon Depardon (documentary, first film)“Restos do Vento,” Tiago Guedes“Le Petit Nicolas Qu’est-ce Qu’on Attend Pour Etre Hereux?” Amandine Fredon, Benjamin Massoubre (animation, first film)

Cannes has added a raft of movies to its lineup ahead of the festival next month.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentMemento International has boarded “Falcon Lake,” the feature debut of Quebec-born artist and actor Charlotte Le Bon which will world premiere at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight. Penned by Le Bon, François Choquet and Karim Boucherka, “Falcon Lake” is adapted from Bastien Vivès’s graphic novel “A Sister.” The story follows Bastien, a 13-year old boy who moves with his family from Paris to a lakeside chalet in Quebec where he bonds in an unexpected way with Chloé, 16.

Claudia Eller Co-Editor-in-ChiefIt’s beyond distressing how women directors continue to get short shrift at Cannes.How could it be that this year only three movies helmed by females will be contenders in the main competition of the world’s most prestigious film festival?It’s horribly disappointing, but far from shocking, given that last year only four out of 21 competition titles were directed by females and considering Cannes’ poor track record when it comes to recognizing women filmmakers competing throughout its 75-year history. After all, just two movies by women directors, Jane Campion’s “The Piano” and Julia Ducournau’s “Titane,” have ever won the coveted Palme d’Or.Of course, I’m thrilled for director Kelly Reichardt (“Showing Up”), Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (“Forever Young”) and Claire Denis (“Stars at Noon”), but nonetheless their movies represent a meager portion of the 18 titles in competition at Cannes.

Cannes Directors’ Fortnight has unveiled its line-up for 2022. Scroll down to see the full list.

Björk has shared that she would like to see more female directors taking on the Viking Age in film and TV.The musician and actor stars in Robert Eggers’ new viking epic The Northman as a whispering Seeress predicting the future of Alexander Skarsgård’s Amleth.The film follows Amleth as he seeks revenge for the murder of his father, played by Ethan Hawke, and aims to save his mother Queen Gudrún, played by Nicole Kidman. Other stars include Anya Taylor-Joy, Claes Bang and Willem Dafoe.Posting to Facebook after attended the Icelandic premier of the film, Björk shared a statement about her role and to thank those involved.“so proud to be part of this,” she wrote.

The 75th Cannes Film Festival, which runs May 17-28, was already due to be a starry affair with the likes of Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis screening out of competition. Today it got even hotter with a strong Official Selection that should make for glamorous red carpets, but one that will likewise treat serious subject matter.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentThis year’s crop of filmmakers at the Cannes Film Festival don’t represent a new benchmark in terms of gender diversity. Since becoming the first international festival to sign a gender parity pledge in 2018, Cannes has failed to make substantial progress in ramping up the representation of female directors in competition which remains dominated by male directors.Cannes director Thierry Fremaux told Variety last week that he was aiming to “hopefully” have a “stronger presence of female directors” in 2022.

Ukraine as a backdrop, the Cannes Film Festival plans a special honor for Tom Cruise’s “Top Gun” comeback and to host some 35,000 people as the movie industry looks to reclaim its pre-pandemic allure.On Thursday, organizers of this year's festival unveiled the 18 films that will compete for the coveted Palme d’Or prize at the May 17-28 event. They include “The Natural History of Destruction” by Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa, “All that Breathes” by Indian director Shaunak Sen, and Ethan Cohen’s “Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind.”Organizers will announce the jury at a later date.After a pandemic-related production delay, “Top Gun: Maverick,” in which Cruise reprises his 1986 role as a U.S.