ÉCU-The European Independent Film Festival

The 2012 Cannes Film Festival has been well on its way, already being five days since the excitement and buzz of the opening day have passed. This leaves the contest wide open for anyone to bring home the big prize, and at ÉCU, we know it’s going to be one hell of a competition! Stay tuned for the rest of the Festival, there are still many incredible films yet presented, filled with much cinematic talent from all over the world!

The official line-up of the main category, ‘In Competition,’ contain films like Im Nobel (Dans La Brume) by Sergei Loznitsa; JCosmopolis by David Cronenberg; Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson and many more. See the full line up here: Cannes 2012 Official Selection

Here is a little preview who we believe may very well have what it takes to win that Palme d’Or!

Moonrise Kingdom, directed by Wes Anderson, starring Bruce Willis and Bill Murray and an ensemble cast, is surely a contender for this year’s Festival. Set in the 1960’s, two young lovers leave their small New England island town behind, instigating a search led by a willing Sheriff (Bruce Willis) and the girl’s eager parents (Bill Murray, Frances McDormand) to find them. This is Anderson’s first live-action feature since “The Darjeeling Limited” in 2007, and is said to be an impressive piece of work. Packed with spirit and energy, the engaging plot of a teenaged love story is most appealing to us all, not to mention accompanied by a large A-List cast, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman and Tilda Swinton to name a few.

David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis is being debuted this year and whispered to possibly take home the big prize. This potential prize winning film stars young up and coming actor Robert Pattinson. Although we are used to seeing him tear it up as a vampire in the Twilight film series – he obviously can show us another brilliant side in this upcoming and praised film. The story follows a billionaire asset’s manager (Pattinson) on an odyssey across Manhattan. We say crack open the champagne bottles, because the Palme d’Or may very well be up for grabs in this high-hitter.

On the Road, a film adaption of the Jack Kerouac novel of the same name is another very worthy contender chatted to take home the Palme d’Or. This is a film with yet another long list of amazing talent; just a few are no other than Robert Pattinson’s real-life honey, Kristen Stewart, Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams and Steve Buscemi. The story is based on Kerouac’s years travelling across the United States in the 1940’s with good pal Neal Cassidy, and a handful of others who would go on to be world famous figures, including William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg. We’re not sure about you, but we could be sensing the winner of the competition in this riveting adventure/drama film adaption directed by Walter Salles and executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola.

Although we are on the edge of our seats to hear the winner of the Palme d’Or for the ‘In Competition’ category, there are also other sections of the Festival, which never ceasing to amaze us! For any of you uninformed film lovers out there, here is breakdown and description of each category of the Festival:

In Competition – The twenty films competing for the Palme d’Or, projected in the Théâtre Lumière

Un Certain Regard – ‘A certain glance’ or a particular outlook,’ including twenty films selected form all different cultures, original and different works, projected at the Salle de Debussy

Out of Competition – These are also projected in the Théâtre Lumière but are not competing for the main prize

Special Screenings – A selection committee choses unique and special environments for these films as it pertains to their particular identity

Cinéfondation – Consists of fifteen short and medium-length motion pictures from film schools all over the world, presented in Salle Buñuel

Short Films – Approximately ten short films are chosen in this category to compete for the Short Film Palme d’Or, projected in the Buñuel and Debussy theatres.

Take a glance at the remaining sections and films debuting in this year’s 2012 Cannes Film Festival – who do you think will win?

By Gabrielle Martin