Cannes opening set for May 12

Cannes is about to do its annual transformation from beach city to global movie capital. The 79th Festival de Cannes starts Tuesday, May 12, and runs through May 23 at the Palais des Festivals on the Croisette. The headline news is simple, but the stakes are big — once Cannes opens, it starts shaping the next year of prestige cinema, distribution deals, awards chatter, and celebrity visibility all at once. (festival-cannes.com) This year’s first marker is opening night itself, with Pierre Salvadori’s “The Electric Kiss” set to launch the festival. (boutiqueofficielle.festival-cannes.com) ### What is actually happening on May 12? The festival’s opening ceremony takes place on Tuesday, May 12, kicking off the 79th edition in Cannes, France. That ceremony is the formal start of an 11-day run that pulls in filmmakers, sales agents, critics, brands, and stars from all over the world. (festival-cannes.com) Cannes isn’t just a screening series — it’s a giant coordination point for the movie business. ### Why does the opening film matter? Because Cannes uses opening night to set the tone. This year that job goes to “The Electric Kiss,” directed by Pierre Salvadori, and the festival has placed it as the opening film in the official selection. Opening-night choices usually signal the mood Cannes wants to project — prestige, accessibility, controversy, or some mix of the three. (festival-cannes.com) ### What’s the deal with the poster? The official poster is built around “Thelma & Louise,” bringing Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon back into Cannes iconography 35 years after Ridley Scott’s film premiered there on May 20, 1991. That choice is not random. The festival’s own materials frame the image around freedom, friendship, and women pushing past old cinematic stereotypes — basically turning a familiar movie still into a mission statement for the edition. (festival-cannes.com) ### Why use an old film image now? Because Cannes loves linking the present festival to its own mythology. Reusing “Thelma & Louise” lets the event feel current and nostalgic at the same time — a neat trick Cannes pulls better than almost anyone. It reminds people that the festival is not just premiering new movies; it is constantly curating its own legend. (festival-cannes.com) ### What else is already locked in? The official selection was unveiled in April and updated later that month with additions. The competition slate is packed with major directors, and the sidebars are already defined too — Un Certain Regard, Midnight Screenings, Cannes Premiere, and Special Screenings. So by the time opening night arrives, Cannes is not improvising. The machine is already running. (boutiqueofficielle.festival-cannes.com) ### Where does Alia Bhatt fit into this? She’s part of the brand-and-celebrity layer that now sits alongside the film program. Bhatt has already headed to Cannes and is returning as a global ambassador for L’Oréal Paris, which is tied into the festival’s beauty and red-carpet ecosystem. That doesn’t change the competition lineup, but it shows how Cannes now operates on two tracks at once — cinema industry summit and global image marketplace. (boutiqueofficielle.festival-cannes.com) ### Why does Cannes still carry this much weight? Because a Cannes slot can change a film’s commercial life fast. Sales deals get done there, reputations get made there, and awards campaigns often start there. Even the visual rollout — poster, schedule, opening-night film, ambassador arrivals — is part of building momentum before the first big reviews hit. (festival-cannes.com) ### Bottom line May 12 is the ceremonial start, but really it’s the ignition point. Once Cannes opens, the next 11 days will decide which films become events, which stars dominate the conversation, and which images — this year, maybe “Thelma & Louise” all over again — define the festival after the red carpet is gone. (boutiqueofficielle.festival-cannes.com) (festival-cannes.com) (moneycontrol.com)