On the Deauville Boardwalk, from September 5 to 14, 2025, the American festival will take place. This festival will mix impromptu sea baths and independent cinema, sparking great curiosity. Jury led by Golshifteh Farahani (photocall in the English Channel), tributes to Pamela Anderson and Kim Novak, tight competitions and anticipated premieres: between accessible glamour and contemporary debates, what can this edition reveal about Hollywood’s fractures and desires? Deauville Festival 2025 program, stakes, and faces.
A meeting born in 1975, the French showcase of American cinema
Born in 1975 on the Côte Fleurie, the Deauville American Film Festival has established itself. Indeed, it has become the gateway for independent cinema from across the Atlantic. Initially non-competitive, it introduced a competition in 1995 that reveals new voices each year. Nearly 100 films are screened over ten days at the Deauville International Center (CID), including premieres, tributes, and documentaries. The mission remains unchanged: to take the pulse of America through its images and offer it to the French public.
The moments that made history
Fifty editions have shaped a collective memory. We remember the return of Johnny Depp who came to present City of Lies (2021) after the judicial turmoil. Additionally, there was the arrival of Ana de Armas for Blonde (2022). The 2024 anniversary was marked by an open awards list and the transition in the festival’s leadership. Over time, Deauville has honored legends (Clint Eastwood, Gena Rowlands, Oliver Stone) and supported the new American generation.
Deauville Festival 2025 Program
The 51st edition takes place from September 5 to 14, 2025. Thirteen films compete for the Grand Prix, in a selection that scrutinizes American youth and its tensions: filiation, coming of age, economy, environment, and politics. The competition notably includes The Chronology of Water by Kristen Stewart (first feature film), Eleanor the Great by Scarlett Johansson (first film), I Live Here Now by Julie Pacino, Olmo by Fernando Eimbcke, The End by Joshua Oppenheimer, Rebuilding by Max Walker-Silverman, Lurker by Alex Russell, Omaha by Cole Webley, Sovereign by Christian Swegal, The New West by Kate Beecroft, In Transit by Jaclyn Bethany, After This Death by Lucio Castro, and The Chronology of Water mentioned above, whose adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch‘s autobiographical story is an event.
Beyond the competition, the edition highlights documentaries under the banner American Doc Stories (Holding Liat by Brandon Kramer, Viktor by Olivier Sarbil, Lowland Kids by Sandra Winther…), a focus dedicated to Gregg Araki, as well as anticipated premieres like The Mastermind by Kelly Reichardt (a 1970s heist film, with Josh O’Connor and Alana Haim). The awards will be presented on Sunday, September 14 (Revelation, Grand Prix, Audience Award), with a reprise of the awards in Paris at Grand Action on September 21.
An eclectic jury… ending in the water
Presided over by Golshifteh Farahani, musician and actress, the 2025 jury brings together complementary profiles: Thomas Cailley (director of Les Combattants, Le Règne animal), Eye Haïdara (revealed by Le Sens de la fête), Katell Quillévéré (Un poison violent, Réparer les vivants), Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (Emily in Paris), Vincent Macaigne (actor and director), Benjamin Millepied (choreographer, Black Swan), and Émilie Tronche (creator of the animated series Samuel). On Monday, September 8, 2025, the traditional photocall on the Boardwalk turned into a swim: galvanized by Vincent Macaigne, the jury ended up in the English Channel, a playful image of a festival that knows how to keep a playful spirit.
Who is coming to the Deauville Festival 2025?
Pamela Anderson (Deauville Talent Award). Pop icon revealed by Baywatch, the 58-year-old actress is experiencing a turning point with The Last Showgirl (Gia Coppola). In Deauville, she receives a Deauville Talent Award and inaugurates a cabin in her name on the Boardwalk. Moreover, she claims a freer trajectory. She announces projects with Michael Cera (moving behind the camera), Sally Potter, and Karim Aïnouz. Her career, long captured by tabloids, is now reread in the light of art-house cinema. Indeed, she claims sincerity there.
Kim Novak (Icon Award, guest of honor). Legend of Vertigo, Picnic, or Pal Joey, the 92-year-old actress is honored in Deauville a few days after a Golden Lion for her entire career in Venice. The Normandy ceremony is accompanied by the screening of the documentary Kim Novak’s Vertigo (Alexandre O. Philippe). Long retired from Hollywood, she continues a painter’s work, and Deauville celebrates her as a free pioneer.
Kristen Stewart (carte blanche and competition). Globally known for Twilight, respected for Personal Shopper and Spencer, she presents her first feature film, The Chronology of Water, in competition and offers a carte blanche titled ‘My French Cinema’, an opportunity to discuss her French influences.
Joel Edgerton (Deauville Talent Award). Australian actor-director seen in Warrior, The Gift, Loving, Boy Erased, he receives a Deauville Talent Award in Deauville. The evening includes the premiere of Train Dreams (Clint Bentley), where he stars alongside Felicity Jones and Kerry Condon.
Shih-Ching Tsou and Nina Ye. The Taiwanese director, former collaborator of Sean Baker (Take Out), presents the premiere of Left-Handed Girl, a family drama co-written, produced, and edited by Baker. She is accompanied in Deauville by actress Nina Ye.
Julie Pacino. Daughter of Al Pacino, she comes to defend I Live Here Now, an intimate horror film that questions the desire for children and the echoes of the past.
Fernando Eimbcke. A figure of Mexican cinema (Lake Tahoe), he competes with Olmo.
Gregg Araki. The festival dedicates a focus to the cult filmmaker of the 1990s generation (The Doom Generation).
Kelly Reichardt. Author of First Cow and Wendy and Lucy, she presents The Mastermind, a stripped-down variation on the heist film.
In the documentary section, we will encounter Raoul Peck (Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5), Brandon Kramer (Holding Liat), Olivier Sarbil (Viktor), Sandra Winther (Lowland Kids). Each brings a perspective on politics, memory, and climate.
The Deauville spirit: between glamour and public access
The charm of Deauville lies in this very French mix: boardwalks, cabins, and evening gowns, but theaters open to spectators with Pass and ticketing. The 2025 edition reminded us with a moment of gentle madness: the jury, soaked but laughing, reminded us that cinema is also a popular celebration. The public can vote for the City of Deauville Award and attend meetings with the teams. The DNA remains: no red carpet cut off from the world, but shared films.
Anderson and Novak: two stories of emancipation
The joint presence of Pamela Anderson and Kim Novak tells two paths of liberation. The former, a media icon shaken, reinvents her career through choices of independence and roles against type. The latter, a great actress of the studio era, left Hollywood for a life as an artist outside the system. However, she has not renounced her heritage. Deauville brings them together in the same gesture: celebrating women who take control of their image and their art.
What to expect from the awards
The dominant themes of identity, memory, social fractures – suggest an awards list sensitive to intimate stories and bold formal writings. The Chronology of Water could appeal with its autobiographical momentum and its work on the body. Eleanor the Great bears the signature of an actress, Scarlett Johansson, who steps behind the camera with an elderly heroine, rare in the lead role. The Mastermind confirms the festival’s attraction to minimalist reinterpretations of genres. On the documentary side, contemporary geopolitics – Israel/Palestine, Ukraine, climate will undoubtedly resonate in the jury’s and public’s debates.
Dates and practical information for the Deauville Festival 2025
- Awards: Sunday, September 14, 2025, in the late afternoon, at the CID (Deauville).
- Reprise in Paris: Sunday, September 21, 2025, at Grand Action (Paris 5th).
- Public vote: City of Deauville Award open during competition screenings.
- Locations: CID, Casino Barrière, Morny cinema.
- Editorial line: priority to independent American cinema, focus on Gregg Araki and committed documentary sections.
- Figures honored: Kim Novak (tribute) and Pamela Anderson (Deauville Talent Award).
- The next generation: Kristen Stewart, Julie Pacino in competition, Shih-Ching Tsou in premiere.
- Atmosphere: seriousness in theaters, Boardwalk spirit (photocall ‘in the English Channel’), closeness with the public.
- Expectations: an awards list where the intimate illuminates the political.