Cannes 2025: Un Certain Regard Showcases Global Debuts and Distinctive Voices

The Un Certain Regard section at the 78th Festival de Cannes offers a kaleidoscope of cinematic perspectives — raw, radical, and reflective of the world in flux. With 13 debut features and a focus on formal innovation, the 2025 lineup captures the spirit of discovery.

Aisha Can’t Fly Away by Morad Mostafa

Highlights include Eleanor the Great, the much-anticipated directorial debut of Scarlett Johansson, and Urchin, a gritty first film from British actor Harris Dickinson. My Father’s Shadow by Akinola Davies Jr. and Aisha Can’t Fly Away by Morad Mostafa explore generational trauma and migration through deeply personal lenses.

From Japan, Kei Ishikawa presents Tôi Yamanamino Hikari (A Pale View of Hills), an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, while Kristen Stewart makes her first turn behind the camera with The Chronology of Water, based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir.

Emerging Latin American talent shines in Un Poeta by Simón Mesa Soto, La Misteriosa Mirada del Flamenco by Diego Céspedes, and O Riso e a Faca (I Only Rest in the Storm) by Pedro Pinho.

Un Certain Regard has long been a proving ground for the next generation of auteurs — and this year’s roster affirms its reputation for bold, risk-taking cinema that reflects shifting political, ecological, and emotional terrains.