"Un Certain Regard", "Filmmakers' Fortnight", "Critics' Week"... We explain all the parallel selections at the Cannes Film Festival.

While the competition obviously remains the premier category with the Palme d'Or , Thierry Frémaux and his teams have been offering a showcase and a range of offerings for 21 years which continues to expand with the creation of parallel selections.

Acid, Directors' Fortnight, and Un Certain Regard... A quick overview of the parallel selections that will be the talk of the town this year on the Croisette at the 78th Cannes Film Festival.

Out of competition

When you hear the words Tom Cruise and "Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning , " you immediately think of Hollywood blockbusters . Foreign or French films that, with their world premiere, are among the most anticipated releases of the year and guarantee glamour and international stars on the red carpet.

A certain look

Created in 1978, this selection was intended to counter the rise of the Directors' Fortnight. It is in some ways the "search head" of the highly coveted official selection . Around twenty feature films in a competitive section, which highlights filmmakers from countries where film production remains relatively rare . Prizes vary, such as "the new voice", "youth prize" or even "ensemble prize".

Acid

The Independent Cinema Association for its distribution. This selection gives undistributed films a chance by giving them special attention. Nine feature films, including three documentaries, are featured. It will open its edition with Sophie Letourneur and Philippe Katerine for "L'Aventura."

Special Screenings and Midnight Screenings

A unique selection of films that don't fit into any box. It's often a good opportunity to discover documentaries like the upcoming one about Bono , the U2 singer, "Stories of Surrender , " directed by Andrew Dominik. These are "personal" works, according to Thierry Frémaux. One of them is included in this selection this year: "Tell Him I Love Him" ​​by Romane Bohringer.

Midnight screenings that take place late in the evening in the Grand Théâtre de Lumière.

Critics' Week

It's part of the history of the Cannes Film Festival. Organized by the French Union of Film Critics, its program showcases young filmmakers with first and second films. Whether short or feature-length, there's something for everyone. This selection shone with, among other things, the emergence of two filmmakers who later won the Palme d'Or: Ken Loach and Julia Ducournau.

Filmmakers' Fortnight

A selection that draws its identity from May '68, created in reaction to conformism with impactful and more divisive subjects, which contrast with the more rigid framework of the official selection as it was presented in the 1970s. Around twenty feature and short films. Although it is not competitive, this selection offers numerous distinctions: SACD Prize, Europa Cinemas Label, and, since 2024, an Audience Award.

This body is responsible for the revelation of the three future "double gold medalists" Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Michael Haneke.

Cannes Premiere

This is the newest of the non-competitive sections, but it's quickly becoming a must-attend event. Created in 2021, it's largely composed of French films , representing at least six of the eight films each year. This 2025 vintage features Alex Lutz with "Connemara," as well as French directors Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret with "Ma Frère."

Cannes Classics

This was one of Thierry Frémaux's first initiatives as chief selector of the Cannes Film Festival. A section dedicated to heritage cinema , including the grand screening of classics. For several years, the very first screening of the Cannes Film Festival has taken place on the Tuesday afternoon before the opening ceremony. A masterpiece of Hollywood slapstick comedy , whose centenary is celebrated in 2025, is planned for the program: "The Gold Rush" by Charlie Chaplin.