Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound Featuring Ishan Khatter Selected In Un Certain Regard Category At Cannes

Indian filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan is returning to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival with his second film, 'Homebound', which has secured a spot in the Un Certain Regard section this year.

eeraj Ghaywan is returning to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival with his second film, 'Homebound'

Source : IMDb

Indian filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan is returning to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival with his second film, 'Homebound', which has secured a spot in the Un Certain Regard section this year. The official lineup for the 78th edition of the festival, scheduled to run from May 13 to 24 in the French Riviera, was announced on Thursday.

Backed by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions in association with Varun Grover and Somesh Mishra, the film stars Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa, with a special appearance by Janhvi Kapoor. Celebrating the achievement, Dharma Productions took to social media to congratulate the entire team.

Ghaywan’s Cannes journey began with his much-celebrated debut 'Masaan' in 2015, which also premiered in the same category. Known for spotlighting bold, original voices, the Un Certain Regard section traditionally highlights the early works of emerging filmmakers.

Other films in the section

This year’s selection includes a mix of international talent and notable debuts. Among them is 'Eleanor the Great', marking Scarlett Johansson’s first outing as a director. Other titles featured include Morad Mostafa’s 'Aisha Can’t Fly Away', Francesco Sossai’s 'The Last One for the Road', Hubert Charuel’s 'Meteors', Diego Céspedes’ 'The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo', Akinola Davies Jr’s 'My Father’s Shadow', Tarzan and Arab Nasser’s 'Once Upon a Time in Gaza', Kei Ishikawa’s 'A Pale View of the Hills', Harry Lighton’s 'Pillion', and Harris Dickinson’s Urchin.

Cannes 2025 - a star-studded affair

This year’s Cannes is shaping up to be a star-studded affair. Described by some as the first true post-strike edition, the festival boasts a powerful lineup of established American auteurs. Spike Lee returns with 'Highest 2 Lowest', Richard Linklater brings 'Nouvelle Vague', Kelly Reichard presents 'The Mastermind', Ari Aster unveils Eddington, and Wes Anderson is back with The Phoenician Scheme.

In addition to Johansson and Dickinson, several other actors are stepping behind the camera this year, reflecting a growing trend of performers exploring direction.

The anticipation around this edition is particularly high, following the success of last year’s festival, where Palme d’Or winner 'Anora' went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Other titles like 'Emilia Perez', 'The Substance', and 'Flow' also made a strong impact during the awards season.

Adding to the excitement, Tom Cruise is set to make a highly anticipated return to Cannes with 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning', three years after his memorable appearance for 'Top Gun: Maverick'.

Festival artistic director Thierry Fremaux, along with president Iris Knobloch, shared that the selection team received a record 2,909 submissions this year. While the main lineup has been revealed, Cannes traditionally keeps the door open for last-minute additions across its sections.

Acclaimed French actress Juliette Binoche will lead the jury this year, and veteran actor Robert De Niro is set to receive the honorary Palme d’Or, cementing the 2025 edition as a celebration of both global cinema and legendary talent.