The Cannes Film Festival is considered to be one of the most prestigious film festivals across the world and is part of the Big 3 European film festivals besides the Venice Film Festival and the Berlinale. Now, Anurag Kashyap's passion project Kennedy starring Sunny Leone and Rahul Bhatt is headed to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2023. The ace filmmaker is known for creating the modern-day classic 'Gangs of Wasseypur', 'Ugly', 'Gulaal' and 'No Smoking'.
The festival's Twitter handle made the announcement on Thursday afternoon. They tweeted: "KENNEDY by Anurag KASHYAP #SeanceDeMinuit / #MidnightScreenings #Cannes2023." The film will be a part of the midnight screening section. Kashyap has been a regular at Cannes.
While his magnum opus 'Gangs of Wasseypur' was screened at the 2012 Cannes Directors' Fortnight, an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival, the anthology film 'Bombay Talkies', on which he served as one of the directors, premiered under Special Screenings at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. 'Ugly' was released a year after 'GoW' and was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where it also received a standing ovation. His 'Raman Raghav 2.0' also premiered in the Director's Fortnight section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
Not much is known about the film except that it stars Rahul Bhatt and Sunny Leone in the lead. Bhatt and Kashyap have previously collaborated in Ugly which was also screened at Cannes in 2013. The actor and director duo have also worked together in the 2022 film Dobaara. This is the first time that Kashyap will work with Sunny Leone. The film will not be competing but has been selected to screen in the special screenings category.
Talking about the film festival, which is set to be held on May 16, will showcase films by Wes Anderson, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Wim Wenders, Ken Loach, Todd Haynes and Steve McQueen. Maiwenn's Jeanne du Barry, starring the director opposite Johnny Depp, will open the festival on May 16. Two-time Palme d’Or-winning Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund will preside over the jury that will vote on the festival’s top prizes in the international competition.
(With inputs from IANS)
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