The Cannes Film Festival was officially canceled in April due to COVID-19, but that hasn’t stopped them in going “digital” by releasing a list of films that make up its 2020 edition. A total of 56 films that would have been selected to play at this year’s Cannes have been announced under the title “Official Selection.”
The major titles announcing this morning by Cannes director Thierry Fremaux include Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” Francois Ozon’s “Ete 85,” Naomi Kawase’s “True Mothers,” Thomas Vinterberg’s “Another Round” and Steve McQueen has not one, but two new films selected with “Mangrove” and “Lover’s Rock.”
A total of 15 features are from first-time directors, while 16 of the films listed are helmed by women. The 56 films selected were chosen out of a potential pool of 2,067 features that were submitted. There are 147 countries being represented, and 21 of them coming from France.
Despite the “Official Selection,” there isn’t a competition lineup, instead, Fremaux has insisted that all 56 films selected will just have the equal badge of honor of being part of this year’s selection, mostly to boost their chances of being selected at other film festivals this fall.
Fun speculation. If we actually had a competition lineup this year, it would have looked something like this:
The French Dispatch - Wes Anderson
Summer of 85 - François Ozon
Annette - Leos Carax
Memoria - Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Ahed’s Knee - Nadav Lapid
Benedetta - Paul Verhoeven
Tres Piani - Nanni Moretti
Ammonite - Francis Lee
On A Half Clear Morning - Bruno Dumont
Petrov’s Flu - Kirill Serebrennikov
True Mothers - Naomi Kawase
Another Round - Thomas Vinterberg
DNA - Maïwenn
Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness - Im Sang-soo
The Real Thing - Koji Fukada
Probably add in 2 or 3 more French titles that have also been bumped to 2021 (Brize, Dupiuex, Cantet)
Only one American film? I'm sure there must have been another one or two set to compete, but now going for the fall fests.
I doubt both McQueens would have been in competition, but who knows!
All of these films are now opting to wait a year and aim for a Cannes 2021 competition slot, except for Nanni Moretti’s film, which is now slated to have its hometown premiere this coming September at the 77th Venice Film Festival (which is, supposedly, taking place).
Brady Corbet's “The Origin of the World,” his X-Rated epic about "Northern California’s economy" in the 1970s epic, has now started production in South Africa under the working title “SALT FLATS.”