Looking to Buy a Film at Cannes? Hot Sales Titles Like ‘The Man I Love’ and ‘Parallel Tales’ Top Our List of Best Bets

How many movies does Neon have at Cannes this year? As many as it will take for them to win their seventh straight Palme D’Or. The distributor is coming into Cannes with six movies in competition, two in Director’s Fortnight, and one out of competition. But don’t rule them out of buying more if there’s one that pops.

There’s fewer options than normal this year, though. Neon, MUBI, and Sony Pictures Classics all have movies that are playing in competition, while some of the few American films in the slate also have homes. Will that slow the market for sales or have buyers looking at the Marché du Film for pre-sales they can program for 2027, 2028, or beyond?

Below are the 10 movies that do not yet have distribution that we predict will in due time, be they to a streamer like Netflix looking for a prestige play or to an art house player like Kino Lorber giving a much needed North American home to a smaller international film.

We also take a look at a few of the hot packages available at the Marché du Film. Movies like OIivia Wilde’s “The Invite” were shopped last year, and Bleecker Street picked up “Victorian Psycho” ahead of it premiering at Cannes this year.

Films Playing in the Festival

As the only American film playing in Director’s Fortnight and an adult prestige drama at that, this one should stand out. “Atonement” is a directorial debut but from an Oscar nominee in van Dyck, who was nominated for his short film “DeKalb Elementary.” It grapples with PTSD and the effect of war on the families that live in the afflicted region, and word is the war sequences make it hardly resemble the work of a debut filmmaker.

This one sounds like the Spanish-language “Sentimental Value.” It follows Javier Bardem, working in both Spanish and English, as a filmmaker who offers a role to his estranged daughter who is a struggling actress, only to see their bond become the subtext for the film he’s shooting. After breaking out with “The Beasts,” this is Spanish filmmaker Sorogoyen’s first time competing for the Palme D’Or.

The “Beanpole” director Kantemir Balagov is making his English-language debut with “Butterfly Jam,” which follows a teenager in New Jersey working at his family’s struggling Circassian diner and who is forced to grow up quickly after a risky decision by his father. The cast is starry enough that a number of buyers of different stripes could be very interested.

“Club Kid” (Un Certain Regard) Director: Jordan Firstman Cast: Jordan Firstman, Cara Delevingne, Diego Calva

Actor/comedian/writer Jordan Firstman (“I Love LA”) directs his first feature, here a New York-set indie produced by Oscar-winning “Anora” producer Alex Coco. Firstman also leads the film as a washed-up party promoter who finds out that 10 years ago he fathered a child, who’s now looking for his care. Cara Delevingne plays his partner in coked-out crime, but everybody here is forced to grow up. This wildly entertaining comedy with heart will be a huge crowdpleaser and a guaranteed sale out of Cannes. —RL

“Gentle Monster” (Competition) Director: Marie Kreutzer Cast: Léa Seydoux, Catherine Deneuve

Léa Seydoux stars in two Cannes films this year, both in competition, “Gentle Monster” and “The Unknown.” “Corsage” director Marie Kreutzer’s new movie stars Seydoux as an avant-garde pianist who learns devastating news about her husband’s past — and present — that pulls their world apart. Between this film and “The Unknown,” Seydoux is an early pick for a Cannes best actress prize, here in a tense and moving drama that will attract interest for arthouse distributors. —RL

“I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning” (Director’s Fortnight) Director: Clio Barnard Cast: Anthony Boyle, Millie Brady, Joe Cole

Clio Barnard’s first feature since 2021’s “Ali & Ava” could be a discovery moment for the five young leads Barnard has assembled for the film. “I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning” was described to us as having the energy of a movie like “Trainspotting” for a new generation and that the film, which follows five different childhood friends each facing their own struggles, is a mix of levity, some darker moments, and hopefulness.

This never-before-heard interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono took place literal hours before Lennon was assassinated, and it’s one that takes on some real tension as the former Beatle discusses the future with no idea it would be his last. The film is also notable — and already controversial — for Soderbergh’s use of AI-generated imagery to illustrate some of the ideas Lennon is discussing.

“The Man I Love” (Competition) Director: Ira Sachs Cast: Rami Malek, Tom Sturridge, Rebecca Hall, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Luther Ford

With James Gray’s “Paper Tiger” off the market, Ira Sachs’ latest is one of just two American films in the main competition at Cannes, and the only one for sale, and that’s a good spotlight for it to have. Set in 1980s New York and anchored by Rami Malek, the film is said to have the transportive sense of time and place Sachs established with his last film “Peter Hujar’s Day” combined with the complexity and emotionality he brought to his other recent standout “Passages.”

“Parallel Tales” (Competition) Director: Asghar Farhadi Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney, Adam Bessa, Catherine Deneuve

Iranian auteur Asghar Farhadi is back in France for his latest film more than a decade after he made “The Past.” The movie is loosely based on “Dekalog: Six” and follows an author who begins spying on her neighbors in search of inspiration for her next novel. The film’s scandalous premise and big international cast could be a good prestige play for a streamer.

First-time feature director Leah Nelson rounds up a starry voice cast for this touching, black-and-white animated film. In the 1990s-set film, Sarah must return to her family home when she learns that Alzheimer’s disease has taken a toll on her mother. The comedian-heavy ensemble, who are doing press at the festival, will help power this family-friendly film to buyer interest. —RL

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