What’s happened at the Cannes Film Festival so far -- and what’s still to come

Wan QianHui poses for photographers during the opening ceremony red carpet of the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

CANNES, France — This year’s Cannes Film Festival has barely started, but it’s already been an attention-grabbing affair, from new rules for its red carpets, nerves about potential U.S. tariffs and the return of Tom Cruise.

And that says nothing about the films, expected to be a strong slate as Cannes is seen as increasingly important to the Oscars’ best picture hopefuls.

• In pictures: Cannes dress code for 2025 includes no nudity or ‘voluminous outfits’

Even in a normal year, Cannes is a lot to keep up with. Here’s a handy guide of what’s happened so far, what to expect and what it may mean.

What’s happened so far at Cannes

Cannes opened Tuesday with a starry tribute to Robert De Niro, 49 years after “Taxi Driver” won the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or. De Niro used the platform to assail U.S. President Donald Trump, a frequent target of his criticism.

He also basked in the adoration of some of film’s elite, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Quentin Tarantino.

Cannes debuted a complex 4K restoration of “The Gold Rush,” one of Charlie Chaplin’s most beloved silent masterpieces, timed to the film’s 100th anniversary. “Our grandfather would be really proud to see this, a hundred years later, to see all you here and interested in seeing the film,” said Kiera Chaplin to a packed screening Tuesday.

Tom Cruise took the spotlight on Day 2 with the latest “Mission: Impossible” installment, “Final Reckoning.” For such a high-flying franchise, Cruise kept his feet on the ground (so far) ahead of the film’s premiere.

What to expect from the 2025 Cannes Film Festival

AP Film Writer Jake Coyle broke down some of the key things about the festival in a thorough primer. Among the things to watch out for: any effects of Trump’s talk about tariffs on foreign-made films at the world’s largest film market. The festival serves as the start of Oscar season and there’s a packed field vying for this year’s Palme d’Or.

Outside of competition, there’s some starry first-time directors: Scarlett Johansson with “Eleanor the Great,” Kristen Stewart with “The Chronology of Water” and Harris Dickinson with “Urchin.”

Their films are not in the main competition, but as Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho told Coyle about debuting a film at Cannes: “You release a film into that Colosseum-like situation.” He noted premiering a movie at the festival is akin to “a potential invitation to a beheading.”

New red carpet rules, and how stars are responding

One of the buzziest moves by Cannes this year so far has been its proclamation that nudity is banned by festivalgoers and so too are “voluminous” outfits, in particular those with a large train.

The move to ban nude looks comes amid the “naked dress” trend on red carpets, including Bianca Censori’s Grammys look and many of the outfits worn by Vanity Fair party attendees after the Oscars.

Cannes press officers said earlier this week the festival “made explicit in its charter certain rules that have long been in effect.”

So how did stars at Cannes respond?

Halle Berry, who is on the festival jury headed by Juliette Binoche, told reporters she would abide by it and had changed her opening night look.

While risque looks were in short supply Monday, there were certainly some “voluminous outfits,” including dresses worn by Heidi Klum, Chinese actor Wan QianHui and others.

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The Associated Press