Cannes Film Festival 2016
Premieres & Screenings
Monday the 16th
Hands of Stone
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The first day of week 2 at this year’s festival culminated with premiere of ‘Hands of Stone’, Jonathan Jakubowicz’s biographical drama about enigmatic boxing legend Roberto Duran and his longtime trainer Ray Arcel.
On hand were stars Edgar Ramírez, Robert De Niro, Ana de Armas and Usher Raymond, as well as the former multi-weight world champion himself. ‘Hands of Stone’ is out on the 26th of August in the US with no current UK release date yet.
Hands of Stone Cannes interview (courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter)
Loving
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Joel Edgerton reunited with his ‘Midnight Special’ writer/director Jeff Nichols and co-star Ruth Negga for the premiere of Palme d’Or contender ‘Loving’, a biographical drama about an interracial couple’s struggle for their civil rights after being charged with violating a “Racial Integrity” act in the segregated 1950s American south.
Loving Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Paterson
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Cannes regular Jim Jarmusch was accompanied this year by Adam Driver and Golshifteh Farahanistars, stars of his latest “in-competition” reflective drama ‘Paterson’ about a poetic New Jersey bus driver. No release day yet.
Paterson Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Tuesday the 17th
Personal Shopper
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Tuesday saw the premiere of yet another Palme d’Or nominated Olivier Assayas drama ‘Personal Shopper’, starring Kristen Stewart as a young American working in the Parisian fashion underworld who seeks to connect with her dead twin brother from the beyond. In attendance were the director with stars Anders Danielsen Lie, Lars Eidinger, Sigrid Bouaziz, Nora von Waldstatten and Kristen Stewart.
The film has received mixed reviews and boos from certain members of a typically vocal Cannes audience, something which Assayas might take as a badge of honour since everything from ‘Taxi Driver’ to ‘Pulp Fiction’ have garnered similar responses over the years. No release date yet.
Personal Shopper Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Julieta
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Pedro Almodóvar returned to Cannes with yet another Palme d’Or nominated female-centric Spanish relationship drama in the form of ‘Julieta’, he was joined by stars Inma Cuesta, Daniel Grao, Emma Suarez, Rossy de Palma, Adriana Ugarte and Michelle Jenner. ‘Julieta’ is out on the 26th of August in the UK.
Julieta Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Captain Fantastic
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Tuesday also brought a screening of the Matt Ross unconventional family drama and Un Certain Regard nominee ‘Captain Fantastic’ to the Riviera; Starring Viggo Mortensen as the patriarch of an isolated rural family who’s forced return to civilisation challenges his ideologies and the core dynamic of his family.
Mortensen was present with his adorable movie family/co-stars Annalise Basso, Shree Crooks, Charlie Shotwell, Samantha Isler and Nicholas Hamilton and all were on hand to deliver the least threatening version of the bird-flipping trend that seems to be spreading across the festival. ‘Captain Fantastic’ is out on the 9th of September in the UK and 8th of July in the US.
Captain Fantastic Cannes feature (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Wednesday the 18th
The Unknown Girl (La fille inconnue)
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Cannes regulars the Dardenne brothers (Two Days, One Night) were on hand to open Wednesday’s proceedings with their latest film ‘The Unknown Girl’; a Belgian drama about a doctor trying to solve the mystery of the unknown patient who died after refusing her treatment.
The directors were joined on the red carpet by the cast which included Olivier Bonnaud, Nadege Ouedraogo, Adele Haenel, Louka Minnella and Jeremie Renier. No release date yet.
The Unknown Girl Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
The Wailing (Goksung)
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Wednesday also featured a first look at another of South Korea’s strong film contingent at Cannes this year, in the form of Hong-jin Na’s ‘The Wailing’; a thriller about a mysterious sickness which spreads through a Korean village and the people brought together to fight it. The director was joined at the screening by stars Kwak do Won, Chun Woo Hee and Kunimura Jun, out on the 3rd of June in the US with no UK date yet.
The Wailing Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Thursday the 19th
It’s Only the End of the World (Juste la fin du monde)
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Young Canadian actor/writer/director and prodigal son of world cinema Xavier Dolan debuted his latest French-language drama at the festival on Thursday, a stage-play adaptation which follows a young gay writer’s return home to his estranged family to break the news of his imminent death from a terminal illness. Dolan was on hand with his strong French cast featuring Marion Cotillard, Vincent Cassel, Gaspard Ulliel, Nathalie Baye and Lea Seydoux, no current UK release date.
It’s only the end of the world press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Gimme Danger
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Not content with Palme d’Or nominated ‘Paterson’, Jim Jarmusch returned to the red carpet out of competition on Thursday with ‘Gimme Danger’, his documentary about groundbreaking Michigan punk band The Stooges. In attendance alongside the director was irrepressible leathery frontman Iggy Pop, no release date yet.
Gimme Danger Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Friday the 20th
The Last Face
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Sean Penn kicked off the last weekend at Cannes 2016 in a directorial capacity with his humanitarian drama ‘The Last Face’, starring Charlize Theron and Javier Bardem as aid workers who connect during a mission in a politically unstable African country. In attendance were the director and his two leads alongside fellow cast members Adele Exarchopoulos, Dylan Penn, Hopper Penn , Jared Harris and Jean Reno.
Unsurprisingly much of the media attention was focused on Penn and Theron’s now ended relationship which blossomed at last year’s festival, but the early critical appraisal for this rare Sean Penn directorial outing is not good to say the least. No current release date.
The Last Face Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
The Neon Demon
Image Source: AFP
Cannes has had no shortage of controversy involving Danish directors and Nicolas Winding Refn seems to have added to that tradition with the premiere of highly stylized and decadent L.A. fashion psychological horror/thriller ‘The Neon Demon’.
The director was joined by lead Elle Fanning plus co-stars Bella Heathcote and Karl Glusman at the photocall for a film which has had vociferously mixed reactions which included boos and walk-outs, not necessarily a negative for a Cannes showing but we just hope this movie will help us forget ‘Only God Forgives’ rather than remember it. Out on the 24th of June in the US and 8th of July in the UK.
The Neon Demon Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Saturday the 21st
Elle
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Dutch master of 80s & 90s Sci-fi and thrillers Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop, Basic Instinct) made a rare Cannes appearance alongside his leading lady and French cinema legend Isabelle Huppert for the premiere of their in-competition film ‘Elle’; a French thriller about a successful and uncompromising video-game company boss who engages in a dangerous game with the stranger who attacked her home.
Director and star were also on the red carpet alongside the cast, no current UK or US release dates yet.
Elle Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
The Salesman (Forushande)
Image Source: AFP
Award-winning Iranian writer/director Asghar Farhadi (A Separation, The Past) brought his latest drama ‘The Salesman’ to the riviera on Saturday; the story of the breakdown of a middle-class Iranian couple’s relationship as they begin an amateur run of Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman’. Farhadi was in attendance with stars Shahab Hosseini and Taraneh Alidoosti plus co-stars Babak Karimi and Farid Sajjadihosseini, no current UK or US release date.
The Salesman press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Cannes 2016 Awards (Next Page)–>
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