The 78th Cannes Film Festival began with festive events and iconic moments

The 78th Cannes Film Festival has started with a series of festivities, including an award ceremony for Robert De Niro, a screening of Amélie Bonnin’s debut film, and a special Ukraine Day event dedicated to the war in the east.

The 78th Cannes Film Festival opened on May 13. As usual, the event began with a red carpet event attended by numerous celebrities. A separate event was the presentation of the honorary Palme d’Or award for an outstanding career in cinema.

This year, the award went to Robert De Niro. Speaking on stage, the actor discussed the challenges facing the cultural community and expressed concern about the threat to democracy in the United States caused by Donald Trump’s policies. De Niro noted that the president is reducing funding for cultural institutions and imposing tariffs on foreign films.

The actor received the award from Leonardo DiCaprio, who recalled how his career began in the film This Boy’s Life with De Niro and noted that many young actors consider De Niro’s style a benchmark.

The festival opened with the premiere of the French comedy “Leave One Day” by director Amélie Bonnin. Despite the positive reaction from the audience, critics were restrained.

The opening was also marked by the presence of Quentin Tarantino, who announced the start of the festival and spoke about the Cannes Classics section, which honors classic cinema.

Among the new films of the festival are the film “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” with Tom Cruise, “The Phoenician Scheme” by Wes Anderson with a star-studded cast led by Tom Hanks, and the debut of Scarlett Johansson “Eleanor of the Great.” In addition, Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” and other essential works are expected.

A special Ukraine Day attracted particular attention, during which three films highlighting the war in Ukraine were presented: “Zelensky,” “Our War,” and “2000 Meters to Andriyivka.” Mstislav Chernov, who presented his film, thanked the Ukrainian military for their courage and sacrifice.

Thus, the first day of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival became important from the cinematography point of view because of the political and social aspects that highlighted global problems.