The 78th Cannes Film Festival delivered A-list glamour, unexpected moments, viral highlights, and a controversial new dress code. Here’s everything you might have missed so far.
### Stars Pushed Back Against the Dress Code
Heidi Klum at the Cannes opening ceremony.
Photo: Getty Images
Stella Maxwell at The Phoenician Scheme premiere.
Photo: Getty Images
Just before the festival began, attendees and their stylists were thrown into chaos with new red carpet rules. Cannes, long known for bold, revealing fashion, announced that “for decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet,” along with “voluminous outfits, especially those with long trains, that disrupt guest flow and theater seating.” The statement added that festival staff would deny entry to anyone breaking these rules.
Did they enforce it? Not really. While there were fewer exposed nipples than usual, the rules clearly served more as suggestions—applied selectively to regular attendees while celebrities flouted them freely. (Case in point: The Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning crew taking a red-carpet selfie, which is technically banned.)
The Mission: Impossible cast snapping a forbidden selfie.
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### Rihanna Stole the Spotlight (As Always)
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky at the Highest 2 Lowest premiere.
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Even rainy weather couldn’t dampen Cannes’ brightest moment: Rihanna, once again redefining maternity fashion, gracing the premiere of Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, starring Denzel Washington and A$AP Rocky. The next morning, as rain poured over the Croisette, her hit “Umbrella” blasted from speakers near the red carpet.
### Denzel Washington Got His Flowers
The two-time Oscar winner made headlines—first for a tense exchange with an overly handsy photographer, then for a heartfelt tribute from frequent collaborator Spike Lee. To cap it off, he received a surprise honorary Palme d’Or for lifetime achievement, looking genuinely stunned and moved.
### The Hottest Leading Men Turned Up the Heat
Pedro Pascal at the Eddington photo call.
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Alexander Skarsgård at The Phoenician Scheme premiere.
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Alongside Denzel and A$AP Rocky, the festival was packed with heartthrobs: Pedro Pascal in sleeveless Calvin Klein, Alexander Skarsgård in leather pants and fetish boots, Paul Mescal looking dapper for The History of Sound, Harris Dickinson as ever-charming in Urchin, Robert Pattinson in Die My Love, and Akinola Davies Jr. (making his directorial debut with My Father’s Shadow) alongside leading man Sope Dirisu. And let’s not forget Austin Butler—just to name a few. (Bonus: Pascal and Skarsgård’s post-screening kiss had everyone swooning.)
Robert Pattinson at the Die My Love photo call.
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Paul Mescal at The History of Sound premiere.
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A special shoutout goes to Cannes jury member Jeremy Strong, who brought playful energy in pastel suits and bucket hats.
Jeremy Strong at The Phoenician Scheme premiere.
Photo: Getty Images
Strong at the jury photo call.
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### Elle Fanning Kicked Off Joachim Trier Summer
Elle Fanning at the Sentimental Value photo call.
Photo: Getty Images
Fanning, a star of Sentimental Value, dazzled on the red carpet, signaling the start of what’s sure to be a stylish season.Sentimental Value, Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s brilliant new family drama (and arguably the best film at this year’s festival), made its stance clear—and honestly, I need that merch ASAP.
Emma Stone got photobombed—and by a bee, no less. The Eddington star’s reaction to the unexpected red-carpet crasher was priceless.
As always, women over 50 stole the show. From 95-year-old June Squibb shining in Scarlett Johansson’s Eleanor the Great to the effortlessly elegant 61-year-old Juliette Binoche presiding as jury president, Cannes was dominated by powerhouse women like Andie MacDowell, Halle Berry, Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Jodie Foster, and Isabelle Huppert—all at the top of their game.
Politics took center stage
Harris Dickinson made his directorial debut with Urchin, a film about a homeless Londoner fighting to survive, and used the spotlight to call out British MP Suella Braverman with a T-shirt reading: “Living on the streets is not a lifestyle choice, Suella. It’s a sign of failed government policy.”
Julian Assange, promoting The Six Billion Dollar Man, wore a shirt listing thousands of Palestinian children killed in Gaza, while his wife, Stella, chose a Vivienne Westwood gown adorned with a portrait of the designer and the words “Stop Killing.”
Angelina Jolie also addressed the war in Gaza while presenting the Trophée Chopard, honoring artists who’ve lost their lives or lack the freedom to tell their stories. Juliette Binoche paid tribute to photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, killed in Gaza just last month, whose documentary Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk was selected for Cannes. “She should have been here with us tonight,” Binoche said.
Beyond Gaza, discussions about Trump’s tariffs and the war in Ukraine remained prominent, with Cannes marking three years of the conflict through special screenings. Amid all the glitz, the festival proved once again to be a powerful platform for global political statements.