5 Films That Have Palm D'or Buzz: From Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme to Lynne Ramsay's Die, My Love

The Cannes Film Festival 2025 runs from May 13 to 24, with several films already gaining strong Palme d’Or buzz. Here are five Competition titles to watch, featuring top directors like Wes Anderson, Julia Ducournau, and Lynne Ramsay.

The Phoenician Scheme by Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson returns to Cannes with The Phoenician Scheme, continuing his streak of entering the festival’s Competition lineup every two years. The espionage-themed adventure stars Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Riz Ahmed, Scarlett Johansson, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

The film was shot in Germany and produced by The Indian Paintbrush and American Empirical Pictures in collaboration with Studio Babelsberg. Focus Features will release it in North America on May 30, with a broader rollout on June 6. Universal Pictures International handles global distribution.

Die, My Love by Lynne Ramsay

Lynne Ramsay’s Die, My Love is one of the most talked-about Competition films at Cannes 2025. Adapted from Ariana Harwicz’s novel, the story moves the original French setting to rural America, where a woman is overwhelmed by love and mental turmoil.

The cast includes Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, LaKeith Stanfield, and Sissy Spacek. Lawrence also produces through her company, Excellent Cadaver, alongside Martin Scorsese and Andrea Calderwood. The film is financed by Black Label Media.

Alpha by Julia Ducournau

Julia Ducournau is back in the Cannes Competition after her 2021 Palme d’Or win for Titane. Her new film Alpha is described as her most personal yet. It follows a 13-year-old girl whose life changes after she comes home with a tattoo.

The cast includes Tahar Rahim, Golshifteh Farahani, and newcomer Melissa Boros. North American rights have already been picked up by Neon.

The History Of Sound by Oliver Hermanus

Oliver Hermanus brings The History Of Sound to Cannes, a First World War love story between two American men, played by Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal. This marks Hermanus’s return to the festival after winning the Queer Palm in 2011.

The film is backed by Film4 and produced by End Cue and Fat City, along with Theresa Ryan-van Graan, Zhang Xin, and Hermanus. Mubi owns the North American rights, while Focus Features and Universal Pictures International will distribute globally.

Sirat by Oliver Laxe

Spanish filmmaker Oliver Laxe made his Cannes Competition debut with Sirat after winning prizes in other sections of the festival in previous years. The film follows a father and son as they search for their missing daughter and sister at a rave in Morocco.

Sirat is produced by Movistar Plus+, El Deseo (run by Pedro and Agustin Almodóvar), Filmes Da Ermida, Uri Films, and France’s 4A4 Productions. BTeam Pictures will release the film in Spain.

ALSO READ: Cannes Film Festival 2025: Dates, How and Where to Watch, Schedule and What to Expect from the Iconic French Riviera