The 68th Cannes Film Festival took place from 13 to 24 May 2015. Ethan and Joel Coen were the Co-Presidents of the Jury for the main competition, marking the first time that two people co-chaired the jury. Since the Coen brothers each received a separate vote, they were joined by seven other jurors to form the customary nine-juror panel.
French filmmaker Jacques Audiard won the , the festival's top prize, for the drama film Dheepan. During his speech, Audiard stated that "receive a prize from the Coen brothers is something pretty exceptional. I'm very touched". French film director Agnès Varda was presented with the Honorary Palme d'Or at the festival's closing ceremony. She was the first female filmmaker to ever receive the award.
The festival's official poster featured Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman, photographed by David Seymour. The poster was chosen to pay tribute to Bergman for her contributions to films; she also served as the Jury President at 1973 Cannes Film Festival. Once again, French actor Lambert Wilson was the host for the opening and closing ceremonies.
The festival saw artistic director Thierry Frémaux ask celebrities to abstain from taking selfies on the red carpet. While he did not have the powers to ban the pictures from the red carpet altogether, Frémaux urged celebrities to resist the temptation.
The festival opened with Standing Tall by Emmanuelle Bercot, and closed with Ice and the Sky by Luc Jacquet.
Juries
Main competition Ethan and Joel Coen, American filmmakers – Jury Co-Presidents Rossy de Palma, Spanish actress Guillermo del Toro, Mexican filmmaker Xavier Dolan, Canadian filmmaker and actor Jake Gyllenhaal, American actor Sophie Marceau, French actress and filmmaker Sienna Miller, English actress Rokia Traoré, Malian singer-songwriter and composer
Isabella Rossellini, Italian-American actress – Jury President Haifaa al-Mansour, Saudi Arabian filmmaker Panos H. Koutras, Greek filmmaker Nadine Labaki, Lebanese filmmaker and actress Tahar Rahim, French actor
Camera d'Or Sabine Azéma, French actress – Jury President Claude Garnier, French cinematographer Delphine Gleize, French filmmaker Yann Gonzalez, French filmmaker Didier Huck, French Technicolor executive Bernard Payen, French film critic and curator Melvil Poupaud, French actor
and Short Films Competition Abderrahmane Sissako, Mauritanian filmmaker – Jury President Cécile de France, Belgian actress Joana Hadjithomas, Lebanese filmmaker Daniel Olbrychski, Polish actor Rebecca Zlotowski, French filmmaker
Critics' Week Ronit Elkabetz, Israeli actress and filmmaker – Jury President Andréa Picard, Canadian film curator and critic Katell Quillévéré, French filmmaker Peter Suschitzky, English cinematographer Boyd van Hoeij, French-based Dutch film critic
L'Œil d'or Rithy Panh, Franco-Cambodian filmmaker – Jury President Diana El Jeiroudi, Syrian producer Scott Foundas, American film critic Irène Jacob, Franco-Swiss actress Nicolas Philibert, French filmmaker
Queer Palm Desiree Akhavan, American-Iranian filmmaker and actress – Jury President Ava Cahen, French journalist Laëtitia Eïdo, French actress Elli Mastorou, Belgian film journalist Nadia Turincev, French film producer
Official selection In Competition The films competing for the were announced at a press conference on 16 April 2015. Two films were added to the main competition line-up on 23 April 2015, Valley of Love by Guillaume Nicloux and Chronic by Michel Franco. The following films were selected to compete for the Palme d'Or:
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country The Assassin Hou Hsiao-hsien Taiwan, China, Hong Kong Carol (QP) Todd Haynes United Kingdom, United States Chronic Michel Franco Mexico, France Dheepan Jacques Audiard France The Lobster Yorgos Lanthimos Greece, France, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom Louder Than Bombs Joachim Trier Norway, France, Denmark Macbeth Justin Kurzel United Kingdom, France Marguerite & Julien (QP) Valérie Donzelli France The Measure of a Man Stéphane Brizé Mia Madre Nanni Moretti Italy, France Mountains May Depart Jia Zhangke China, Japan, France My King Mon Roi Maïwenn France Our Little Sister 海街 diary Hirokazu Kore-eda Japan The Sea of Trees Gus Van Sant United States Sicario Denis Villeneuve Son of Saul (CdO) Saul fia László Nemes Hungary Tale of Tales Matteo Garrone Italy, France, United Kingdom Valley of Love Guillaume Nicloux France Youth Paolo Sorrentino Italy, France, Switzerland, United Kingdom (CdO) indicates film eligible for the Caméra d'Or as directorial debut feature. (QP) film eligible for the Queer Palm.
The following films were selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard section: Sweet Red Bean Paste by Naomi Kawase was the opening film.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Alias Maria José Luis Rugeles Gracia Colombia, Argentina, France Cemetery of Splendour รักที่ขอนแก่น Apichatpong Weerasethakul Thailand The Chosen Ones David Pablos Mexico Disorder Maryland Alice Winocour France Fly Away Solo (CdO) Masaan Neeraj Ghaywan India The Fourth Direction Gurvinder Singh The High Sun Zvizdan Dalibor Matanić Croatia, Slovenia I Am a Soldier (CdO) Laurent Larivière France, Belgium Journey to the Shore Kiyoshi Kurosawa Japan Lamb (CdO) Yared Zeleke Ethiopia, France, Germany, Norway Madonna Shin Su-won South Korea Nahid (CdO) ناهید Ida Panahandeh Iran One Floor Below Radu Muntean Romania The Other Side (ŒdO) Roberto Minervini United States, Italy Rams Hrútar Grímur Hákonarson Iceland The Shameless Oh Seung-uk South Korea Sweet Bean (opening film) Naomi Kawase Japan Trap Taklub Brillante Mendoza Philippines The Treasure Comoara Corneliu Porumboiu Romania (CdO) film eligible for the Caméra d'Or as directorial debut feature. (ŒdO) film eligible for the Œil d'or as documentary.
Out of Competition The following films were selected to screen out of competition:
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production CountryIce and the Sky (closing film) (ŒdO) Luc Jacquet FranceInside Out Pete Docter United StatesIrrational Man Woody Allen The Little Prince Mark Osborne FranceMad Max: Fury Road George Miller Australia, United StatesStanding Tall (opening film) Emmanuelle Bercot FranceMidnight ScreeningsAmy (ŒdO) (QP) Asif Kapadia United KingdomLove (QP) Gaspar Noé FranceOffice (CdO) Hong Won-chan South Korea (CdO) indicates film eligible for the Caméra d'Or as directorial debut feature. (ŒdO) film eligible for the Œil d'or as documentary. (QP) film eligible for the Queer Palm.
Special Screenings English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Afterthought (CdO) היורד למעלה Elad Keidan Israel Amnesia Barbet Schroeder Switzerland, France Don't Tell Me the Boy Was Mad Robert Guédiguian France Macadam Stories Asphalte Samuel Benchetrit Our House (ŒdO) Oka Souleymane Cissé Mali Panama (CdO) Pavle Vučković Serbia A Tale of Love and Darkness (CdO) סיפור על אהבה וחושך Natalie Portman United States, Israel (CdO) indicates film eligible for the Caméra d'Or as directorial debut feature. (ŒdO) film eligible for the Œil d'or as documentary.
The Cinéfondation section focuses on films made by students at film schools. The following 18 entries (14 fiction films and 4 animation films) were selected out of 1,600 submissions. More than one-third of the films selected represent schools participating in for the first time. It is also the first time that a film representing a Spanish film school had been selected.
English Title Original Title Director(s) School 14 Steps Четырнадцать шагов Maksim Shavkin Moscow School of New Cinema, Russia Absent Abwesend Eliza Petkova dffb, Germany Amphibian Anfibio Héctor Silva Núñez EICTV, Cuba Leonardo Félix Hazeaux, Thomas Nitsche, Edward Noonan, Franck Pina and Raphaëlle Plantier MOPA (formerly Supinfocom-Arles), France Lost Queens Ignacio Juricic Merillán Carrera de Cine y TV Universidad de Chile, Chile The Magnetic Nature Mateo Bendesky Universidad del Cine, Argentina Manoman Simon Cartwright National Film and Television School, United Kingdom Paradise Laura Vandewynckel RITS School of Arts Brussels, Belgium Retriever Tomáš Klein and Tomáš Merta FAMU Prague, Czech Republic The Return of Erkin возвращение Эркин Maria Guskova High Courses for Scriptwriters & Film Directors, Russia Share Pippa Bianco AFI Directing Workshop for Women, United States Slaughterhouse کشتارگاه Behzad Azadi Art University of Tehran, Iran Ten Buildings Away עשרה רחובות, מאה עצים Miki Polonski Minshar for Art, Israel To Return Until Salla Sorri Aalto University-ELO Film School Helsinki Finland Tsunami Sofie Kampmark The Animation Workshop, Denmark Under the Sun Qiu Yang The VCA, Film & TV School, Melbourne University, Australia Victor XX Ian Garrido López ESCAC, Spain The Wheel of Emotions Aurélien Peilloux La Fémis, France
Short Films Competition Out of 4,550 entries, the following films were selected to compete for the Short Film Palme d'Or:
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Ave Maria السلام عليك يا مريم Basil Khalil Palestine, France, Germany Buddy Copain Jan Roosens and Raf Roosens Belgium The Guests Shane Danielsen Australia Love Is Blind Dan Hodgson United Kingdom Patriot Eva Riley United Kingdom Present Imperfect Iair Said Argentina P.S. I Can't Breathe Monet Merchand and Rochelle White United States Sunday Lunch Céline Devaux France Tuesday Salı Ziya Demirel Turkey, France Waves '98 موج ٩٨ Ely Dagher Lebanon, Qatar
Cannes Classics The full line-up for the Cannes Classics section was announced on 30 April 2015. Greek-French film director Costa-Gavras was announced as the guest of honor. In tribute to the recently deceased Portuguese film director, Cannes Classics screened Manoel de Oliveira's posthumous 1982 film Memories and Confessions. The film was previously unseen outside of Portugal.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production CountryRestored PrintsBattles Without Honor and Humanity (1973)Kinji FukasakuJapanBlack Girl (1966)Ousmane SembèneFrance, SenegalElevator to the Gallows (1958)Louis MalleFranceInsiang (1976)Lino BrockaPhilippinesMarius (1931)Alexander KordaFranceLa Marseillaise (1938)Jean RenoirThe Official Story (1985)Luis PuenzoArgentinaOrders (1974)Les OrdresMichel BraultCanadaPanic (1946)PaniqueJulien DuvivierFranceRan (1985)Akira KurosawaJapanRocco and His Brothers (1960)Luchino ViscontiItaly, FranceThe Round-Up (1966)Miklós JancsóHungaryThe Story of the Last Chrysanthemums (1939)Kenji MizoguchiJapanSur (1988)Fernando SolanasArgentina, FranceThe Third Man (1949)Carol ReedUnited KingdomA Touch of Zen (1971)King HuTaiwanWelcome, or No Trespassing (1964)Добро пожаловать, или Посторонним вход воспрещёнElem KlimovSoviet Union (1986)Laurent RothFranceTributesCitizen Kane (1941)Orson WellesUnited StatesThe Lady from Shanghai (1947)Lumière!Louis LumièreFranceMore (1969)Barbet SchroederWest Germany, France, LuxembourgVisit or Memories and ConfessionsManoel de OliveiraPortugalZ (1969)Costa-GavrasFrance, AlgeriaDocumentaries about CinemaBy Sidney Lumet (ŒdO)Nancy BuirskiUnited StatesGérard Depardieu: Larger Than Life (CdO) (ŒdO)Depardieu grandeur natureRichard MelloulFranceHarold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story (ŒdO)Daniel RaimUnited StatesHitchcock/Truffaut (ŒdO)Kent JonesIngrid Bergman: In Her Own Words (ŒdO)Stig BjörkmanSwedenOrson Welles: Shadows & Light (ŒdO)Elisabeth KapnistFranceSembene! (CdO) (ŒdO)Samba Gadjigo and Jason SilvermanUnited States, SenegalSteve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans (ŒdO)Gabriel Clarke and John McKennaUnited States, United KingdomThis Is Orson Welles (ŒdO)Clara Kuperberg and Julia KuperbergFranceAnniversary of the Sixty Years of the Creation of the Palme d'OrThe Golden Palm's Legend (CdO) (ŒdO)Alexis VellerFrance (CdO) indicates film eligible for the Caméra d'Or as directorial debut feature. (ŒdO) film eligible for the Œil d'or as documentary.