Directors’ Fortnight, the independent selection running alongside the Cannes Film Festival, has unveiled an eclectic lineup for its 57th edition, which will showcase Christian Petzold’s “Miroirs n.3,” Eva Victor’s “Sorry, Baby,” Robin Campillo’s “Enzo” and Lloyd Lee Choi’s “Lucky Lu.”
Curated by Julien Rejl, Directors’ Fortnight will open with “Enzo,” a film directed by Robin Campillo (“BPM Beats Per Minute).” Campillo stepped in at the helm after Laurent Cantet, his longtime friend and collaborator, died in April. Cantet and Campillo had previously collaborated on the script of the Palme d’Or-winning “The Class.”
Produced by Marie-Ange Luciani (“Anatomy of a Fall”) at Les Films de Pierre, “Enzo” is set in Marseille and follows the journey of a young apprentice mason, Enzo, who befriends a Ukrainian colleague who gives him a glimpse of a new horizon. The film stars newcomers Eloy Pohu and Maksym Slivinskyi, alongside Élodie Bouchez and Pierfrancesco Favino.
“Sorry, Baby,” which will close Directors’ Fortnight, was one of the buzzier movies to premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Produced by “Moonlight” filmmaker Barry Jenkins, “Sorry, Baby” was bought by A24 for worldwide rights. Victor wrote, directed and stars in the film, which revolves around a college professor recovering from sexual assault. The poignant drama stars Naomi Ackie and Lucas Hedges.
Petzold’s “Miroirs n. 3” marks the German filmmaker’s fourth collaboration with Paul Beer, who stars in the film as an aspiring pianist whose life is shattered after a car accident kills her boyfriend instantly. Petzold’s last film, “Afire,” won Berlin’s Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize in 2023 and was shortlisted as Germany’s official Oscar entry.
Lloyd Lee Choi’s “Lucky Lu,” which is based on the director’s life-action short “Same Old,” tells the story of a Chinese delivery driver in New York City who discovers his e-bike has been stolen. “With his family en route after many years apart, Lu must contend with a community that has turned its back on him while he tries to replace the only thing promising to keep his family afloat,” the plot reads. The movie shot in New York with Taiwanese actor Chang Chen (“Dune”).
Another English-language title in Directors’ Fortnight lineup is Sean Byrne’s “Dangerous Animals,” a serial-killer movie involving sharks which stars Jai Courtney (“Suicide Squad”), Hassie Harrison (“Yellowstone”) and Josh Heuston (“Dune: Prophecy”). “Dangerous Animals” follows Zephyr (Harrison), a rebellious surfer who is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer (Courtney). “Dangerous Animals” was bought by IFC Films and AMC Networks’ streamer Shudder.
Elsewhere in the roster, New York-based Iraqi director Hasan Hadi will present his feature debut “The President’s Cake,” about a 9-year-old girl who is forced to bake a cake for Saddam Hussein’s birthday. His previous short, “Swimsuit,” won an Oscar-qualified award and was picked up by HBO Max.
Aside from “Enzo,” there will be a few more French films presented in the selection, including Anthony Cordier’s comedy “Middle Class,” which stars a popular French cast including Laurent Lafitte (“Elle”), Élodie Bouchez (“Beating Hearts”) and Laure Calamy (“Call My Agent!); and Thomas Ngijol’s “Indomptables,” a Cameroon-set detective thriller.
The roster also includes Canadian director Anne Edmond’s “Peak Everything,” a romantic comedy following Adam, a modest kennel owner whose mundane life takes an unexpected turn when he meets Tina, who works for a company that sells light therapy lamps.
Directors’ Fortnight will also present “Militantropos,” a documentary directed by Yelizaveta Smith, Alina Gorlova and Simon Mozgovyi, shedding light on the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on people’s personal behavior.
Here’s the lineup of feature films:
“Enzo,” Laurent Cantet, Robin Campillo (Opening film)
“Amour Apocalypse,” Anne Émond
“Brand New Landscape,” Yuiga Danzuka
“Classe moyenne” (‘Middle Class’), Anthony Cordier
“Dangerous Animals,” Sean Byrne
“The Foxes Round,” Valéry Carnoy (belgian movie starring samuel kircher)
“The Girl in the Snow,” Louise Hémon
“The Girls We Want,” Prïncia Car
“Girl on Edge,” Jinghao Zhou
“Indomptables,” Thomas Ngijol
“Kokuho,” Lee Sang-il
“Lucky Lu,” Lloyd Lee Choi
“Militantropos,” Yelizaveta Smith, Alina Gorlova, Simon Mozgovyi
“Miroirs n. 3,” Christian Petzold
“La mort n’existe pas,” Félix Dufour-Laperrière
“The President’s Cake,” Hasan Hadi
“Que ma volonté soit faite,” Julia Kowalski
“Sorry Baby,” Eva Victor (closing film)
