Cannes is winding down, sales are heating up and everyone’s waiting with bated breath to see which movies will pull out the big wins on Saturday. Let’s dig in.
Big sales
Two major acquisitions took place on Thursday at the festival. First, Neon picked up Jafar Panahi’s acclaimed “It Was Just an Accident,” which follows a group of individuals who abduct a man they believe to have been an interrogator at Iranian prisons. It’s noteworthy not just because the film scored rave reviews and it’s Panahi’s first time setting foot in Cannes in two decades since being imprisoned by the Iranian government, but also because Neon has been behind the last five Palme d’Or winners in a row – including last year’s eventual Best Picture Oscar winner “Anora.”
“It Was Just an Accident” was already in the Palme conversation, but the Neon pickup puts extra shine on that prediction. It follows Neon’s acquisition of “The Secret Agent” earlier in the festival.
The studio will release “It Was Just an Accident” in theaters later this year.
Mubi also made its second acquisition of the festival with writer/director Mascha Schilinski’s acclaimed drama “Sound of Falling,” after previously picking up Lynne Ramsay’s “Die, My Love” starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson for $24 million.
“Sound of Falling” follows four girls in Germany, each who spend their youth on the same farm. As the home evolves over a century, echoes of the past linger in its walls. Though separated by time, their lives begin to mirror each other.
“Mubi is an oasis for everyone who loves cinema,” Schilinski said in a statement. “Here arthouse classics stand shoulder to shoulder with new exciting cinema as well as little movie gems that we would otherwise not get to see. We are very happy that ‘Sound of Falling’ is now part of Mubi’s movie family. I accompanied and protected the movie until the last moment. Now it was allowed to celebrate its world premiere in competition at the Festival de Cannes. I wish ‘Sound of Falling’ an exciting journey out into the world under the Mubi umbrella.”
amfAR Gala
The stars came out in full force for the annual amfAR Gala at Cannes, which raises money for AIDS research. In the past 30 years, the exclusive charity event has raised more than $265 million to fight the disease — and the annual Cannes gala continues to be the film festival’s must-see fashion event.
The ritzy affair was held at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, with Taraji P. Henson hosting for the evening, which additionally featured performances from Duran Duran, Adam Lambert and Ciara.
Colman Domingo, Adrien Brody, James Franco, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Rodriguez, Heidi Klum, Ciara and more all showed up dressed to the nines.
Check out our full photo gallery for more.
