Cannes 2025: Mario Martone’s “Fuori” Competes for Palme d’Or, Scarlett Johansson Makes Directorial Debut
Cannes, France – April 10, 2025, 5:48 AM PDT
The 78th Cannes Film Festival, set to unfold from May 13 to 24, 2025, unveiled its official lineup today at a press conference in Paris, hosted by festival director Thierry Frémaux and president Iris Knobloch. Among the standout announcements, Italian auteur Mario Martone secures a coveted spot in the main competition with his latest film, Fuori, while Hollywood icon Scarlett Johansson steps behind the camera for her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great, premiering in the Un Certain Regard section.
Martone’s Fuori—a French-Italian co-production—brings the visceral story of writer Goliarda Sapienza to the Croisette, portrayed by Valeria Golino in a role that’s already generating buzz. The film traces Sapienza’s incarceration following a “crazy and unexpected act”—the theft of jewels—and her transformative bond with fellow female inmates at Rome’s Rebibbia prison. Emerging into a sweltering Roman summer, she forges a profound connection with Roberta, a habitual delinquent and activist, played by Matilda De Angelis, with singer-actress Elodie rounding out the trio of leading women. “It’s a story of friendship, freedom, and rebirth,” Martone said in a statement to La Stampa. Having competed at Cannes twice before—most recently with Nostalgia in 2022—Martone’s return pits him against heavyweights like Wes Anderson (The Phoenician Scheme), Ari Aster (Eddington), and Julia Ducournau (Alpha) for the Palme d’Or, to be awarded by a jury presided over by Juliette Binoche.
Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson’s Eleanor the Great marks a bold new chapter for the actress, known for Cannes appearances in films like Match Point and Lost in Translation. Starring June Squibb as Eleanor Morgenstein, a 90-year-old widow rebuilding her life in New York after decades in Florida, the film explores an unlikely friendship with a 19-year-old student, played by an as-yet-unannounced actor. Co-starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, the life-affirming drama has sparked early praise for its warmth and Johansson’s assured direction. Positioned in Un Certain Regard—a sidebar celebrating innovative voices—it joins debut works like Harris Dickinson’s Urchin, amplifying the festival’s spotlight on emerging filmmakers.
The Italian presence extends beyond Martone, with Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis’ western Testa o Croce? and Francesco Sossai’s road movie Le città di pianura also landing in Un Certain Regard. Frémaux hailed Italy’s resurgence, noting, “L’Italia non ha mai cessato di essere un paese di cinema,” during the presser. Elsewhere, the festival boasts star power: Tom Cruise returns out of competition with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning on May 14, while Robert De Niro will receive an honorary Palme d’Or at the opening ceremony.
With 2,909 submissions—a record—whittled down to a lineup blending arthouse grit and Hollywood glitz, Cannes 2025 promises a cinematic feast. For Martone, a win could crown his storied career; for Johansson, it’s a chance to redefine her legacy. As the Croisette prepares for its May spotlight, all eyes are on these tales of resilience and reinvention.