The Cannes Film Festival, held in France annually, is widely considered to be one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. Many films have premiered there and left with a great deal of buzz on the way to a successful stint on the awards circuit. Only one Pixar feature film has ever played at Cannes, Pete Docter’s Up, which became the first animated film ever to open the festival. The film was not in contention for awards there but stories of the Cannes audience crying behind their 3D glasses jumpstarted its incredibly successful run at the box office and throughout awards season. Will Inside Out, the next film directed by Docter, premiere at Cannes as well? (UPDATE: We have confirmation – it will!)
Scroll to the end for the press release announcing Inside Out’s debut at Cannes.
We have to wait until April 16th for the full line-up of films that will play at Cannes, when the festival will hold a press conference for the unveiling. However, there are already many rumors of an Inside Out screening taking place. Publications and film blogs such as Variety, Screen Daily, and Cultjer are reporting that the Pixar film is expected to appear at Cannes in some fashion. The larger question is whether it will compete with other films for awards at Cannes. Only two other animated films have ever been in contention at the France-based festival, both films from DreamWorks Animation, Shrek and Shrek 2.
Given the history that Docter has with the film festival, it would not be surprising to see Inside Out become the first Pixar film to vie for Cannes awards, which includes the Palm D’or, the film festival’s coveted (and highest) prize. Docter is one of Pixar’s most respected and lauded directors, and if there is any film from the studio that can land an “in-competition” screening, Inside Out would be the one. The film, which tells the story of what goes on inside the mind of a 12-year old girl named Riley who moves across the country, has been generating buzz since it was announced. The parallel storytelling of the struggles of Riley as well as the journey her emotions undertake during the challenging time is easily one of the most ambitious story ideas we have yet seen from Pixar. Audiences at the D23 Expo in 2013, along with members of the press in the last year have previewed scenes from the film, and many have walked away heaping high praise upon Docter’s latest.
Below is the most recent story synopsis for the film:
Do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on inside their head? Disney/Pixar’s original new film Inside Out ventures inside the mind to find out.
Based in Headquarters, the control center inside 11-year-old Riley’s mind, five Emotions are hard at work, led by lighthearted optimist Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), whose mission is to make sure Riley stays happy. Fear (voice of Bill Hader) heads up safety, Anger (voice of Lewis Black) ensures all is fair and Disgust (voice of Mindy Kaling) prevents Riley from getting poisoned — both physically and socially. Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith) isn’t exactly sure what her role is, and frankly, neither is anyone else.
When Riley’s family relocates to a scary new city, the Emotions are on the job, eager to help guide her through the difficult transition. But when Joy and Sadness are inadvertently swept into the far reaches of Riley’s mind — taking some of her core memories with them — Fear, Anger and Disgust are left reluctantly in charge. Joy and Sadness must venture through unfamiliar places — Long Term Memory, Imagination Land, Abstract Thought and Dream Productions — in a desperate effort to get back to Headquarters, and Riley.
We know that Inside Out is fully done and ready to play for audiences around the world. Docter recently shared an image of producer Jonas Rivera as well as himself with a copy of the finished film on the Disney lot. We will have to wait and see where the film will make its first official appearance in its final form. The Cannes Film Festival is scheduled to be held Meanwhile, the general public in the U.S. and Canada will be able to get their first look at the film when it premieres on June 19th!
UPDATE ( 4/16): Disney/Pixar sent out a press release early this morning following the announcement by Cannes that Inside Out would play. Although the film will screen “out of competition,” its appearance at the festival is still an honor, as films from large studios are infrequently screened there. Read the press release below:
Disney•Pixar’s “Inside Out” not only ventures inside the mind—it’s heading to the 68th annual Cannes Film Festival for its World Premiere.
Academy Award® winner Pete Docter, who helmed Disney•Pixar’s “Up” (the first animated film ever to be the Festival’s Opening-Ceremony film), directs “Inside Out,” an original new movie from Pixar Animation Studios. Docter, producer Jonas Rivera (“Up”), and co-director Ronnie Del Carmen (“Up”) will be on hand in Cannes, along with members of the all-star English-language voice cast.
“We are overjoyed at being included in this year’s official selection at Cannes,” said Docter. “With ‘Inside Out,’ we spent years imagining – and then building – never-before-seen settings and characters within the mind. It was an incredible, fun and exciting challenge and now we can’t wait to share it with the world.”
