Cannes 2025: Robert De Niro to receive honorary Palme d'Or

Robert De Niro is set to receive the honorary Palme d'Or, 49 years after Taxi Driver won the festival's top prize at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, opening on May 13, 2025.

Leonardo DiCaprio is set to present the award to De Niro.

Three-day film tribute to Ukraine

The festival will also open with a three-film tribute to Ukraine and the world premiere of Amélie Bonnin's Leave One Day.

Three Ukraine documentaries, namely, Zelensky, Notre Guerre by Bernard-Henri Lévy, and 2000 Meters to Andriivka by Oscar-winner Mstyslav Chernov.

Binoche will head Palme d'Or jury

French screen legend Juliette Binoche will be leading the jury that pick Palme d'Or winner, along with jurors like Halle Berry and Jeremy Strong.

22 films are in competition for the award, such as Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, Julia Ducournau’s Alpha, and Jafar Panahi’s A Simple Accident.

In Cannes' Un Certain Regard section, three prominent actors are making their directorial debuts: Harris Dickinson with Urchin, Kristen Stewart with The Chronology of Water, and Scarlett Johansson with Eleanor the Great.

Festival director Thierry Frémaux expressed support for the idea of strengthening local film production but said it was too early to comment on the still-developing plans.

“Indeed last year was a beautiful year,” Frémaux said Monday. “But at the very time when I was with (journalists) as the festival started, we didn't know if it was going to be a good year or not.”

The festival closes May 24.