For over six decades, Critics’ Week (Semaine de la Critique) has served as the Cannes Film Festival’s primary incubator for nascent talent, strictly focusing on the first and second features of emerging directors. This year, the sidebar marks a historic pivot: for the first time in its 65-year history, the section will open with an animated film. Phuong Mai Nguyen’s *In Waves* signals a broadening definition of what constitutes an "up-and-coming" cinematic voice, moving beyond the traditional live-action dramas that have long defined the category.
*In Waves* is a Northern California romance that navigates the intersection of teenage subcultures—skateboarding and surfing—before pivoting into a somber meditation on illness. The film features a dual-language pedigree, with an English voice cast led by Will Sharpe and Stephanie Hsu and a French version featuring Lyna Khoudri. Nguyen, who previously gained acclaim for her short film *Chez moi*, represents a new generation of directors utilizing animation to explore intimate, human-scale narratives that were once the sole province of independent live-action cinema.
The remainder of the selection maintains the sidebar’s reputation for rigorous, character-driven storytelling. Special screenings include Julien Gaspar-Oliveri’s *Stonewall*, a family drama starring Bastien Bouillon, and Pierre Le Gall’s *Flesh and Fuel*, an unconventional romantic comedy set within the trucking industry. The edition will close with Félix de Givry’s *Adieu monde cruel*, featuring Milo Machado-Graner. Collectively, the lineup suggests a festival sidebar that is becoming more aesthetically diverse while remaining committed to its foundational mission of discovery.
With reporting from Criterion Daily.
Source · Criterion Daily
