Graphic novel goes to Cannes
AJ Dungo’s graphic novel adaptation In Waves became the first animated film ever to open Cannes Critics’ Week, directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen and featuring voice work from Will Sharpe and Stephanie Hsu. The slot marks a rare festival‑level premiere for a graphic‑novel adaptation and was reported as a Cannes first in recent coverage. (outlookindia.com)
Cannes Critics’ Week will open with an animated film for the first time on May 13, and that film is Phuong Mai Nguyen’s “In Waves.” (deadline.com) The selection was announced April 13 for the section’s 65th edition, which runs May 13-21 alongside the Cannes Film Festival. Critics’ Week said it chose 11 features this year from 1,050 feature-length submissions. (semainedelacritique.com) (deadline.com) Nguyen’s film is her first feature, and Critics’ Week is the Cannes sidebar reserved for directors’ first and second features. Variety reported that artistic director Ava Cahen is curating the selection. (variety.com) (cannes.com) “In Waves” adapts AJ Dungo’s 2019 graphic novel, a nonfiction comic about love, grief and surfing. Penguin Random House says the book follows Dungo’s memories of his late partner and links that story to surf history. (penguinrandomhouse.com) The film keeps that California setting. Diaphana’s synopsis says AJ is a shy Los Angeles teenager who falls in love with Kristen, a surfer, before her illness upends their future. (diaphana.fr) That helps explain why the Cannes berth stands out: graphic novels are adapted into films all the time, but they do not often arrive at Cannes through a launch slot built for new auteurs. Critics’ Week has long functioned as a discovery section rather than a commercial showcase. (cannes.com) (semainedelacritique.com) The project also arrives as animation keeps pushing deeper into top-tier festivals after years of being treated mainly as a family or specialty category. Trade outlets covering the lineup all highlighted “In Waves” as a section first, not just another opener. (hollywoodreporter.com) (animationmagazine.net) The film has been positioned for both French and English-speaking audiences. Deadline reported that the English-language voice cast includes Will Sharpe and Stephanie Hsu, while other coverage said the French version features Lyna Khoudri, Rio Vega, Paul Kircher and Birane Ba. (deadline.com) (animationmagazine.net) The feature runs 90 minutes, according to Unifrance, and Diaphana lists a July 1 theatrical release in France after Cannes. For Nguyen and Dungo, the next marker is no longer whether the film made the festival — it is how a deeply personal comic plays on one of cinema’s most watched launchpads. (en.unifrance.org) (catsuka.com)
