Oscar Season Preview An Analysis of Cannes Winners and Losers

The Cannes Film Festival is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Every year, filmmakers from around the globe submit their works for a chance to win the illustrious Palme d’Or, the highest honor the festival has to offer. This year was no different, with 21 films competing for the top prize and the opportunity to be seen by the public and recognized by critics and industry professionals.

While not all of these films can be seen by the public, the Academy tends to give preference to English-language productions, even though its membership and base of support has grown increasingly international. One highly anticipated film that was screened at the festival is “Wir Sind die Nacht” (We Are the Night), an English-German co-production directed by Wim Wenders.

The film follows a trio of vampires who are struggling to deal with their immortality as they battle their own inner demons. It was met with critical acclaim and won several awards while on the festival circuit. Neon is reportedly in negotiations to pick up the film’s U.S. distribution rights, bringing further attention to the film and potentially expanding its reach to a wider audience.

This isn’t Wenders’ first time at the Cannes Film Festival. He previously represented both Germany and Japan with “The American Friend” (1977), “Wings of Desire” (1987) and “Pina” (2011). While none of these films were nominated for any awards, they all received strong reviews and recognition.

With the current trend of international co-productions, it will be interesting to see if either Germany or Japan submit a co-production for the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. In the meantime, fans of Wenders’ work can look forward to “We Are the Night” coming soon to a theater near them.