Live from Cannes 2016: Introducing Our Cannes Critics’ Panel

And we’re off to the races. The 69th edition of the Cannes film festival begins today and so does our Croisette gallop poll otherwise know as our annual Cannes Critics’ Panel. This is year six for us, and while the fest begins with the out of comp film from Woody Allen, we technically begin with Cristi Puiu’s Sieranevada (the longest film to compete gets a screening at the Debussy) with results trickling in somewhere around 4p.m. today. I’m proud to say that the critics (see collage above/names below) have remained a tight bunch over the years.

In 2011, our group of sixteen we’re more into Pedro Almodóvar’s La piel que habito than Von Trier, Kaurismäki, Dardennes and Palme d’Or winner Terrence Malick. The year after, Michael Haneke’s Amour (Palme d’Or) beat out Holy Motors by just a smidgen. In 2013, Blue is the Warmest Color was also a unanimous pick and worth noting, the film tallied the highest score ever in our charts. For a third year in a row, it is a French language film in the Dardennes’ Deux Jours, Une Nuit outscoring out Palme d’Or winner Winter Sleep and last year Todd Haynes’ Carol beat out Mia Madre, Son of Saul and Palme d’Or winner Dheepan. This year our group of sixteen critics will assess a set of 21 competition films (May 11th-22nd).

1. Nicholas Bell – IONCINEMA.com
2. Christophe Beney – Accreds.fr
3. Dave Calhoun – Time Out London
4. Per Juul Carlsen – Danish National Radio 1
5. Mike D’Angelo – A.V Club
6. Jean-Philippe Guerand – Le Film Français
7. Carlos F. Heredero – Caimán Cuadernos de Cine
8. Jessica Kiang – ThePlaylist.net
9. Eric Kohn – Indiewire.com
10. Fabien Lemercier – Cineuropa.org
11. Marc-Andre Lussier – La Presse
12. Liu MIN – Sina.com
13. Isabelle Regnier – Le Monde
14. Cédric Succivalli – International Cinephile Society
15. Blake Williams – Filmmaker Magazine
16. Alison Willmore – Buzzfeed.com

Visit us twice daily critical snapshot (three on the only Tuesday) of the Main Competition selected films in our star ratings-grid approach. Results will be published as the festival advances and of course, we end the fest with our personal & prediction Palme d’Or predictions. Stay tuned!