On Monday morning, the festival announced their opening film to be La Tête Haute (Standing Tall) by Emmanuelle Bercot. However, they strangely erred in claiming that she was to be the first female director to open the Festival de Cannes in history. Many observers pointed out that Diane Kurys opened the Festival de Cannes in 1987 with Un homme amoureux (A Man in Love). The festival later issued a necessary correction to their initial statement.
Announced films in competition this year include Dheepan by Jacques Audiard, Carol by Todd Haynes, Nie yin niang (The Assassin) by Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Shan He Gu Ren (Mountains May Depart) by Jia Zhang-Ke, Umimachi Diary (Our Little Sister) by Hirokazu Kore-eda, Mon roi by Maïwenn, Mia Madre by Nanni Moretti, La giovinezza (Youth) by Paolo Sorrentino, The Sea of Trees by Gus Van Sant, and Sicario (Hitman) by Montreal's own Denis Villeneuve.
The Cannes lineup includes eight first-time filmmakers among the 49 selections announced. The Selection Committee viewed 1,854 movies to make its selection.
The 68th Festival de Cannes takes place from May 13 – 24.
IN COMPETITION
| Opening Film | ||
| Emmanuelle BERCOT | LA TÊTE HAUTE (STANDING TALL) Out of Competition | 2h00 |
| *** | ||
| Jacques AUDIARD | DHEEPAN (TEMPORARY TITLE) | 1h49 |
| Stéphane BRIZÉ | LA LOI DU MARCHÉ (A SIMPLE MAN) | 1h32 |
| Valérie DONZELLI | MARGUERITE ET JULIEN (MARGUERITE AND JULIEN) | 1h50 |
| Matteo GARRONE | IL RACCONTO DEI RACCONTI (THE TALE OF TALES) | 2h05 |
| Todd HAYNES | CAROL | 1h58 |
| HOU Hsiao Hsien | NIE YINNIANG (THE ASSASSIN) | 2h00 |
| JIA Zhang-Ke | SHAN HE GU REN (MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART) | 2h00 |
| KORE-EDA Hirokazu | UMIMACHI DIARY (OUR LITTLE SISTER) | 2h03 |
| Justin KURZEL | MACBETH | 1h53 |
| Yorgos LANTHIMOS | THE LOBSTER | 1h58 |
| MAÏWENN | MON ROI | 2h10 |
| Nanni MORETTI | MIA MADRE | 1h42 |
| László NEMES | SAUL FIA (SON OF SAUL) 1st film | 1h47 |
| Paolo SORRENTINO | YOUTH | 1h58 |
| Joachim TRIER | LOUDER THAN BOMBS | 1h45 |
| Gus VAN SANT | THE SEA OF TREES | 1h50 |
| Denis VILLENEUVE | SICARIO | 1h45 |
UN CERTAIN REGARD
| Neeraj GHAYWAN | MASAAN 1st film | 2h00 |
| Grímur HÁKONARSON | HRÚTAR (RAMS) | 1h30 |
| KUROSAWA Kiyoshi | KISHIBE NO TABI (JOURNEY TO THE SHORE) | 2h08 |
| Laurent LARIVIÈRE | JE SUIS UN SOLDAT(I AM A SOLDIER) 1st film | 1h36 |
| Dalibor MATANIC | ZVIZDAN (THE HIGH SUN) | 2h03 |
| Roberto MINERVINI | THE OTHER SIDE | 1h30 |
| Radu MUNTEAN | UN ETAJ MAI JOS (ONE FLOOR BELOW) | 1h33 |
| OH Seung-Uk | MU-ROE-HAN (THE SHAMELESS) | 1h58 |
| David PABLOS | LAS ELEGIDAS (THE CHOSEN ONES) | 1h45 |
| Ida PANAHANDEH | NAHID 1st film | 1h44 |
| Corneliu PORUMBOIU | COMOARA (THE TREASURE) | 1h30 |
| Gurvinder SINGH | CHAUTHI KOOT (THE FOURTH DIRECTION) | 1h55 |
| SHIN Suwon | MADONNA | 2h01 |
| Alice WINOCOUR | MARYLAND | 1h40 |
OUT OF COMPETITION
| Woody ALLEN | IRRATIONAL MAN | 1h36 |
| Pete DOCTER Ronaldo DEL CARMEN | INSIDE OUT | 1h42 |
| George MILLER | MAD MAX : FURY ROAD | 2h00 |
| Mark OSBORNE | THE LITTLE PRINCE | 1h48 |
MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
| HONG Won-Chan | O PISEU (OFFICE) 1st film | 1h49 |
| Asif KAPADIA | AMY | 2h07 |
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
| Samuel BENCHETRIT | ASPHALTE | 1h40 |
Souleymane CISSE | OKA | 1h50 |
| Elad KEIDAN | HAYORED LEMA'ALA 1st film | 1h45 |
| Natalie PORTMAN | SIPUR AL AHAVA VE CHOSHECH (A TALE OF LOVE AND DARKNESS) 1st film | 1h35 |
| Barbet SCHROEDER | AMNESIA | 1h36 |
| Pavle VUCKOVIC | PANAMA 1st film | 1h45 |