Festivals - Deauville 2025 : the Première category unveils an exceptional lineup of intimate dramas and ambitious stories

By Mulder, 21 august 2025

Each year, the Première section of the Deauville American Film Festival draws the attention of both cinephiles and industry insiders by presenting a carefully curated selection of films that have already made waves on the international circuit, while also giving them a fresh resonance on the Normandy coast. The 2025 edition continues this tradition, offering an eclectic mix where seasoned auteurs stand alongside rising voices, and where personal dramas coexist with bold, genre-bending works. More than just a showcase, this lineup embodies the festival’s mission: to open audiences to daring perspectives while providing films with a platform that amplifies their global conversation.

Closing the festival this year is A Private Life by Rebecca Zlotowski, a film already praised at Cannes last May. Starring Jodie Foster, Daniel Auteuil, and Virginie Efira, it follows a psychiatrist haunted by the suspicious death of one of her patients and driven into a personal investigation that blurs the line between truth and paranoia. Co-written with Anne Berest and Gaëlle Macé, and enriched by the work of cinematographer George Lechaptois and composer Robin Rob Coudert, the film promises to leave audiences with a lasting impression. Its elegant yet unsettling atmosphere ensures that the festival’s closing note will be both powerful and thought-provoking.

Among the most anticipated entries, Bugonia by Yorgos Lanthimos stands out as a darkly comedic and surreal reimagining of Jang Joon-hwan’s cult Korean film Save the Green Planet!. Produced by Ari Aster, Emma Stone, and Ed Guiney, and starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Alicia Silverstone, this tale of conspiracy theorists convinced a powerful CEO is an alien intent on Earth’s destruction perfectly aligns with Yorgos Lanthimos’ taste for the absurd. It is bound to generate debate, laughter, and unease in equal measure, much like his previous works that have already made an impression on audiences in Deauville.

At the independent end of the spectrum, Forge by Jing Ai Ng introduces a new, sharp voice in cinema. With Kelly Marie Tran and Andie Ju in the lead, the film follows siblings coerced into producing counterfeit art masterpieces for a disgraced millionaire, all while pursued by an FBI investigation. With its themes of family ties, moral compromise, and cultural identity, the film adds a layer of intimacy and social critique to the Première category. Its early buzz in U.S. festivals has positioned it as one of the hidden gems that Deauville audiences will discover firsthand.

Meanwhile, Grand Prix of Europe (Super Grand Prix) by Waldemar Fast injects adrenaline into the lineup. Starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Gemma Arterton, and Hayley Atwell, this film tells the story of a young woman determined to achieve the impossible by racing alongside her idol in a world-class championship. With its mix of youthful ambition, inspirational energy, and spectacle, it pays homage to sports dramas of the past while firmly embracing a modern, family-friendly tone. Deauville has always valued offering films that bring together different audiences, and this one is poised to deliver exactly that.

On a more poignant register, The History of Sound by Oliver Hermanus adapts Ben Shattuck’s short story into a sweeping tale of love, loss, and memory. Featuring Paul Mescal, Josh O’Connor, and Chris Cooper, the film retraces the story of two young men in 1917 whose relationship and joint effort to collect folk songs are tragically interrupted by war, only to resonate decades later. With its lush cinematography by Alexander Dynan and its deep emotional undercurrent, it promises to be one of the most moving experiences of the festival, continuing Deauville’s long tradition of spotlighting romantic yet socially rooted dramas.

Asian cinema takes center stage with Left-Handed Girl by Shih-Ching Tsou, co-written and edited by Sean Baker. Set in the bustling night markets of Taipei, the film follows a single mother and her daughters as they navigate their new life, balancing hardship and resilience. With a cast led by Janel Tsai and Shih-Yuan Ma, it highlights the universality of familial struggle while immersing audiences in the textures of Taiwanese urban life. Sean Baker’s involvement ensures the film bears the social realism and sensitivity that has defined his body of work.

Another standout is Lucky Lu by Lloyd Lee Choi, supported by Destin Daniel Cretton as a producer. Starring Chang Chen and Fala Chen, it depicts the struggles of a Chinese immigrant in New York whose dreams of entrepreneurship collapse under the weight of debt and invisibility, only to be reignited when his estranged wife and daughter unexpectedly return. This tender and melancholic story of family reunion resonates with the immigrant experience, offering audiences a rare glimpse of the dignity and hope found amid hardship.

One of the most cinephile-friendly events is undoubtedly Nouvelle Vague by Richard Linklater, starring Zoey Deutch and Guillaume Marbeck. Revisiting the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, the film weaves a playful meditation on art, legacy, and reinvention. Already praised at Cannes, it embodies Richard Linklater’s ongoing dialogue between American cinema and global film history, making it a perfect fit for Deauville’s cross-cultural spirit.

Thriller enthusiasts will be drawn to Relay by David Mackenzie, which features Riz Ahmed, Lily James, and Sam Worthington in a story of corruption and survival. Already recognized at the Toronto International Film Festival, it delivers a tense and morally ambiguous narrative that aligns with the director’s reputation for gripping, character-driven suspense. Its arrival in Deauville solidifies its growing international acclaim.

Adding a more contemporary, intimate flavor, Splitsville by Michael Angelo Covino dives into the complexities of modern relationships with Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona leading the cast. Produced by Dakota Johnson herself, the film explores open relationships and the shifting dynamics of marriage and friendship. With its comedic yet sensitive tone, it reflects on the ever-changing nature of intimacy in today’s world, offering a mirror to the festival audience.

Science fiction makes its mark with The Astronaut by Jess Varley, starring Kate Mara and Laurence Fishburne. Having already impressed audiences at SXSW, it tells the story of a spacefarer mysteriously returned to Earth with potentially alien baggage. Mixing psychological drama with cosmic unease, it is one of the lineup’s most intriguing genre entries.

The ever-reliable Kelly Reichardt returns with The Mastermind, featuring Josh O’Connor and Alana Haim. Set in 1970s Massachusetts, this film about art theft blends her signature contemplative style with the thrills of a heist gone wrong. It promises to be both a subtle critique of the American dream and a tense study of desperation.

Poetry and intimacy are also on offer with The Summer Book by Charlie McDowell, adapted from Tove Jansson’s beloved novel. With Glenn Close and Anders Danielsen Lie, the story of a young girl and her grandmother spending a summer on a remote island captures the delicate rhythm of life, memory, and nature. Its quiet beauty offers a welcome pause within the festival’s packed schedule.

Closing the list, Train Dreams by Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, adapted from Denis Johnson’s novella, stars Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, and William H. Macy. Chronicling the life of a day laborer swept into the expansion of America’s railroads, it paints a picture of displacement and survival during a rapidly transforming era. After its successful premiere at Sundance, it arrives in Deauville as one of the most anticipated titles, further cementing the duo of Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar as essential voices in American cinema.

Altogether, the 2025 Première category stands as one of the festival’s strongest in recent memory, bridging the intimate and the spectacular, the historical and the futuristic, the American and the international. Deauville once again asserts itself not merely as a showcase of U.S. cinema but as a cultural crossroads where films gain new life and audiences experience cinema’s evolving power. This year’s selection will no doubt be remembered as one of the most vibrant and daring Deauville has offered in years.

Explore the full lineup of films featured in the Première category:

A private Life (Closing film)

Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski
Written by Rebecca Zlotowski, Anne Berest, Gaëlle Macé
Produced by Frederic Jouve
Starring  Jodie Foster, Daniel Auteuil, Virginie Efira
Cinematography : George Lechaptois
Edited by Géraldine Mangenot
Music by Robin Rob Coudert
Production companies : Les Films Velvet, France 3 Cinéma
Distributed by Ad Vitam (France)
Release dates : 20 May 2025 (Cannes), 26 November 2025 (France)
Running time : 105 minutes
Synopsis : Lilian Steiner is a renowned psychiatrist. When she learns of the death of one of her patients, she becomes convinced that it was murder. Disturbed, she decides to conduct her own investigation.

Bugonia

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Written by Will Tracy
Based on Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan
Produced by Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, Miky Lee, Jerry Kyoungboum Ko
Starring  Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, Alicia Silverstone
Cinematography : Robbie Ryan
Edited by Yorgos Mavropsaridis
Music by Jerskin Fendrix
Production companies : Square Peg, CJ ENM Films & Television, Fruit Tree, Element Pictures
Distributed by Focus Features (United States), Universal Pictures International France (France)
Release dates : August 28, 2025 (Venice), October 24, 2025 (United States), November 26, 2025 (France)
Running time : 118 minutes
Synopsis : Two men obsessed with conspiracy theories kidnap a powerful CEO, convinced that she is an alien who intends to destroy Earth.

Forge
Written and directed by Jing Ai Ng
Produced by Damian Bao, Gabrielle Cordero, Liz Daering-Glass, Jing Ai Ng
Starring  Kelly Marie Tran, Andie Ju, Brandon Soo Hoo, Sonya Walger, Eva De Dominici, Edmund Donovan, Elaine Thong, Phillip Andre Botello, Elisa Lau, Matthew Andrew Leung, Jack Falahee
Music by Marco Carrión, Ian Chang
Cinematography : Leo Purman
Edited by Briana Chmielewski     
Production companies : Florida Man Films, Qilinverse
Release date : 
Running time : 114 minutes
Synopsis : Siblings Raymond and Coco Zhang run a forgery ring. Coerced by a disgraced millionaire, they create counterfeit masterpieces for his family's collection. FBI agent Emily Lee investigates a new string of art forgeries.

Grand Prix Of Europe (Super grand prix)

Directed by Waldemar Fast
Written by Kirstie Falkous, Jeffrey Hylton, John T. Reynolds, Ben Alexander Safier
Produced by Michael Mack
Starring  Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Gemma Arterton, Hayley Atwell, Lenny Henry
Edited by Björn Teubner
Music by Volker Bertelmann
Production companies : Mack Magic, Warner Bros. Film Productions Germany
Distributed by Kazoo Films (United Kingdom), KMBO (France), Viva Kids (United States)
Release dates : 29 August 2025 (United States), October 8, 2025 (France)
Running time ; 98 minutes
Synopsis :  Edda dreams of becoming a racing champion. With the Super Grand Prix approaching, she seizes the opportunity to meet her idol Ed, a legendary driver. That's when she decides to take her destiny into her own hands and achieve the impossible: to start and win the biggest race of her life!

The History Of Sound

Directed by Oliver Hermanus
Written by Ben Shattuck
Based on The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck
Produced by Sara Murphy, Andrew Kortschak, Lisa Ciuffetti, Thérèsa Ryan-Van Graan, Oliver Hermanus, Zhang Xin
Starring  Paul Mescal, Josh O'Connor, Chris Cooper
Cinematography : Alexander Dynan
Edited by Chris Wyatt
Production companies : Film4, Closer Media, Tango Entertainment, Storm City Films, End Cue, Fat City
Distributed by Mubi (United States and Canada), Focus Features, Universal Pictures International France (France)
Release dates : May 21, 2025 (Cannes), September 12, 2025 (United States), February 25, 2026 (France)
Running time ! 127 minutes
Synopsis : Lionel, a talented young singer from Kentucky, grew up listening to the songs his father sang on the front porch of their home. In 1917, he left the family farm to attend the Boston Conservatory, where he met David, a brilliant and charming composition student. But their budding relationship was brutally cut short when David was drafted at the end of the war. In 1920, reunited for a winter, Lionel and David traveled through the forests and islands of Maine collecting and preserving folk songs threatened with oblivion. This interlude would leave a lasting mark on Lionel. Over the following decades, Lionel enjoys recognition, success, and other love stories as he travels throughout Europe. But his memories of David continue to haunt him, until one day a trace of their joint work resurfaces, revealing how much that relationship resonated more strongly than any other.

Left-Handed Girl

Directed by Shih-Ching Tsou
Written by Shih-Ching Tsou, Sean Baker
Produced by Shih-Ching Tsou, Sean Baker, Mike Goodridge
Starring  Janel Tsai, Shih-Yuan Ma, Nina Ye, Brando Huang, Akio Chen, Xin-Yan Chao
Cinematography : Ko-Chin Chen, Tzu-Hao Kao
Edited by Sean Baker
Production companies : Good Chaos, Cre Film, Le Pacte
Distributed by Le Pacte (France), Netflix (United States), Le Pacte (France)
Release dates : May 15, 2025 (Cannes), November 14, 2025 (United States), September 17, 2025 (France)
Running time : 109 minutes
Synopsis : A single mother and her two daughters arrive in Taipei to open a small restaurant in the heart of a night market in the Taiwanese capital. Each of them must find a way to adapt to this new life and keep the family together.

Lucky Lu (Les Lumières de New York)
Written and directed by Lloyd Lee Choi
Based on Same Old by Lloyd Lee Choi
Produced by Destin Daniel Cretton, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Asher Goldstein, Tony Yang, Ron Najor, Jeyun Munford
Starring  Chang Chen, Fala Chen, Carabelle Manna Wei
Cinematography : Norm Li
Edited by Brendan Mills
Music by Charles Humnery
Production companies : Significant Productions, Cedar Road, Hisako Films, Gold House, Big Buddha Pictures Release date : May 19, 2025 (Cannes)
Running time : 103 minutes
Synopsis : Lu, who arrived in New York from China with dreams of opening his own restaurant, quickly sees his hopes dashed, leaving him mired in debt and invisible odd jobs. One morning, his wife and daughter, whom he hasn't seen in years, join him, hoping to rebuild a life with him. So, for a few days, Lu tries to give them a moment of happiness and rekindle the light of a possible future.

Nouvelle vague

Directed by Richard Linklater
Written by Holly Gent, Vincent Palmo
Adaptation and dialogue: Michèle Halberstadt, Laetitia Masson
Produced by Michèle Pétin, Laurent Pétin
Starring  Guillaume Marbeck, Zoey Deutch, Aubry Dullin
Cinematography : David Chambille
Edited by Catherine Schwartz
Production companies : ARP Productions, Detour Production
Distributed by ARP Sélection (France), Netflix (United States)
Release dates 17 May 2025 (Cannes), 8 October 2025 (France), 31 October 2025 (United States)
Running time : 105 minutes
Synopsis : This is the story of Godard shooting Breathless, told in the style and spirit of Godard shooting Breathless.

Relay

Directed by David Mackenzie
Written by Justin Piasecki
Produced by Gillian Berrie, Basil Iwanyk, David Mackenzie, Teddy Schwarzman
Starring  Riz Ahmed, Lily James, Sam Worthington
Cinematography : Giles Nuttgens
Edited by Matt Mayer
Music by Tony Doogan
Production companies : Black Bear Pictures, Thunder Road Films, Sigma Films
Distributed by Bleecker Street (United States), Sony Pictures Releasing France (France)
Release dates : September 8, 2024 (TIFF), August 22, 2025 (United States), November 26, 2025 (France)
Running time : 112 minutes
Synopsis : Ash negotiates bribes between corrupt companies and individuals who threaten their ruin. He keeps his identity secret. One day, a message arrives from Sarah, a potential client who needs his protection in order to stay alive.

Splitsville

Directed by Michael Angelo Covino
Written by Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin
Produced by Emily Korteweg, Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin, Ryan Heller, Jeff Deutchman, Dakota Johnson, Ro Donnelly, Samantha Racanelli
Starring  Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Kyle Marvin, Michael Angelo Covino, Nicholas Braun, David Castañeda, O-T Fagbenle, Charlie Gillespie, Simon Webster
Cinematography : Adam Newport-Berra
Edited by Sara Shaw
Music by David Wingo, Dabney Morris
Production companies : Neon, Topic Studios, Watch This Ready, TeaTime Pictures
Distributed by Neon (United States), Metropolitan FilmExport (France)
Release dates : May 19, 2025 (Cannes), August 22, 2025 (United States), September 10, 2025 (France)
Running time : 104 minutes
Synopsis :  When his wife asks him for a divorce, Carey seeks support from his friends Julie and Paul. He then discovers that the secret to their happiness is that they are in an open relationship.

The Astronaut
Written and directed by Jess Varley
Produced by Brad Fuller, Eric B. Fleischman, Cameron Fuller, Chris Abernathy
Starring  Kate Mara, Laurence Fishburne, Gabriel Luna
Cinematography : David Garbett
Edited by Terel Gibson
Music by Jacques Brautbar
Production companies : Fuller Media, Beehive Productions, The Wonder Company
Release date : March 7, 2025 (SXSW)
Running time : 90 minutes
Synopsis : Astronaut Sam Walker is found miraculously alive in a punctured capsule floating off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. General William Harris arranges for her to be placed under intensive NASA surveillance. When strange events begin to occur around the property, Walker fears that something extraterrestrial has followed her to Earth.

The mastermind

Directed by Kelly Reichardt
Written and Directed by Kelly Reichardt
Produced by Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani, Vincent Savino
Starring  Josh O'Connor, Alana Haim, Hope Davis, John Magaro, Gaby Hoffmann, Bill Camp
Cinematography : Christopher Blauvelt
Edited by Kelly Reichardt
Music by Rob Mazurek
Production companies : Mubi, Filmscience
Distributed by Mubi (United States),
Release dates : May 23, 2025 (Cannes), October 17, 2025 (United States)
Running time : 110 minutes
Synopsis : Massachusetts, 1970. A family man looking for a new lease on life, Mooney decides to turn to art trafficking. With two accomplices, he breaks into a museum and steals some paintings. But reality catches up with him: selling the works proves difficult. Hunted, Mooney embarks on a journey with no return.

The summer book

Directed by Charlie McDowell
Written by Robert Jones
Based on The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Produced by Aleksi Bardy, Kevin Loader, Kath Mattock, Charlie McDowell, Duncan Montgomery, Alex Orlovsky, Helen Vinogradov
Starring  Glenn Close, Emily Matthews, Anders Danielsen Lie
Cinematography : Sturla Brandth Grøvlen
Edited by Jussi Rautaniemi
Music by Hania Rani
Production companies : Free Range Films, Stille Productions, High Frequency Entertainment, Helsinki Filmi
Distributed by Music Box Films (United States)
Release dates : 12 October 2024 (BFI), 19 September 2025 (United States)
Running time : 90 minutes
Synopsis : A young girl and her grandmother spend a summer on a small unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland.

Train dreams

Directed by Clint Bentley
Written by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar
Based on Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
Produced by Marissa McMahon, Teddy Schwarzman, Will Janowitz, Ashley Schlaifer, Michael Heimler
Starring  Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Clifton Collins Jr., Kerry Condon, William H. Macy
Cinematography : Adolpho Veloso
Edited by Parker Laramie
Music by Bryce Dessner
Production companies : Black Bear Pictures, Kamala Films
Distributed by Netflix
Release dates : January 26, 2025 (Sundance), November 7, 2025 (United States), November 21, 2025 (Netflix)
Running time : 102 minutes[
Synopsis : Day laborer Robert Grainier is employed as a lumberjack to help expand the railroad across America. Forced to spend long periods away from his wife, Gladys, and their young daughter, Grainier struggles to find his place in a rapidly changing world.

(Source ; press release)