Today, it was announced the feature films that will be screened at the 64th Cannes Critics Week selection and will see Belgian director Laura Wandel’s child custody drama “Adam’s Sake,” starring Anamaria Vartolomei and Léa Drucker, opening the 2025 event.
Other feature films include the following entries, as the official festival website also provided synopses for the lineup, which you can check out below. While we now have a solid idea of what is coming from the feature film side of things, a lineup of short films will be announced later this week on April 17.
READ MORE: Cannes 2025: New Films From Ari Aster, Joachim Trier, Wes Anderson, Scarlett Johansson
COMPETITION
Guillermo Galoe‘s “Sleepless City“:
Toni, a 15-year-old Roma boy, lives in the largest illegal slum in Europe, on the outskirts of Madrid. Proud to belong to his family of scrap dealers, he follows his grandfather everywhere. But when demolition companies start closing in on their land, the family is divided: while some decide to move to the city, his grandfather refuses to abandon their land. Night after night, Toni must make a choice: leap into an uncertain future, or hang on to the world of his childhood.
Déni Oumar Pitsaev‘s “Imago“:
I received a letter from Pankissi, Georgia, a valley at the foot of the Caucasus, right by the Chechnyan border, where I was born. In exile, I am thinking of building a house in this remote place, inhabited by descendants of my Chechen clan. But how could I possibly live in such a place?
Alexe Poukine‘s “Kika“:
While pregnant with her second child, Kika faces the sudden death of her partner. Totally heartbroken and broke, she sets her priorities straight : 1. make money fast 2. stay strong. Dirty underwear, dildos, and neurotic parents will unexpectedly help.
Shih-Ching Tsou‘s “Left-Handed Daughter“:
A single mother and her two daughters return to Taipei after several years of living in the countryside to open a stand at a buzzing night market. Each in their own way, will have to adapt to this new environment to make ends meet and succeed in maintaining the family unity. Three generations of family secrets begin to unravel after the youngest daughter who’s left-handed is told by her traditional grandfather to never use her “devil hand.”
Pauline Loquès‘ “Nino“:
In three days, Nino will face a major challenge. But first, his doctors have assigned him two vital tasks. Two missions that will lead the young man on a journey through Paris, compelling him to reconnect with the world – and himself.
Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke‘s “A Useful Ghost“:
March is mourning his wife Nat, who has recently passed away due to dust pollution. He discovers her spirit has returned by possessing the vacuum cleaner. Being disturbed by a ghost that appeared after a worker’s death shut down their factory, his family reject the unconventional human-ghost relationship. Trying to convince them of their love, Nat offers to cleanse the factory. To become a useful ghost, she must first get rid of the useless ones.
Sven Bresser‘s “Reedland“:
Upon discovering the lifeless body of a young girl on his land, Johan – a reclusive farmer – is overcome by a strange feeling. As he is taking care of his granddaughter, he sets off on a quest for truth, determined to uncover the key to this tragedy. But evil sometimes lurks behind the most ordinary forms…
SPEACIAL SCREENINGS
The opening film is Laura Wandel’s “Adam’s Sake”:
Following a court ruling, four-year-old Adam is hospitalised for malnutrition. Lucy, he head nurse, allows Adam’s mother to stay past the court-mandated visiting hours. Complications ensue when the mother, once again, refuses to leave her son’s bedside. For the sake of the child, Lucy will do anything to help this mother in distress.
Martin Jauvat‘s “Baise-en-ville“:
Sprite, 25, is desperate to find a job. To work, he needs a driver’s licence; and to pay for his driver’s licence, he needs a job. He is hired by a startup that cleans villas after parties; but how can he possibly commute late at night in suburbs with insufficient public transportation? On the advice of Marie-Charlotte, his driving instructor, he signs up for a dating app to charm young women living close to the houses he has to clean. One small problem: Sprite is not really one to seduce.
Alice Douard‘s “Love Letters“:
Céline is expecting her firstborn. But she’s not the one who’s pregnant. In three months, her wife Nadia will give birth to their daughter. Under the gaze of her friends, her mother, and the law, Céline looks for her place and sense of legitimacy.
Closing will be Momoko Seto‘s animated movie “Dandelion’s Odyssey“:
Dendelion, Baraban, Léonto, and Taraxa – four dandelion achenes that survive from a series of nuclear explosions destroying Earth – are propelled into the cosmos. After crash-landing on an unknown planet, they set out in search of soil where their species might survive. However, they must face countless obstacles: the elements, fauna, flora, and the climate.
The Cannes Film Festival takes place between May 13 and 24, and you can read what other films will be screened there right here. Also, stay tuned for more coverage of Cannes 2025 from The Playlist next month, as the festival is a huge stomping ground for films that could end up becoming strong contenders for awards season.
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