Todd Haynes, Frances McDormand, Zhang Ziyi Join Lumière Festival Lineup

Todd Haynes will make his first visit to Lyon’s Lumière Film Festival, joining Robert Eggers, Zhang Ziyi and Tsui Hark at the classic film gathering’s now 18th edition.

Three-time best actress Oscar winner Frances McDormand, a longtime collaborator of the Coen brothers, will join Joel and Ethan Coen in Lyon, where they will receive this year’s Lumière Award for lifetime achievement.

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The festival puts the big-screen experience at the heart of its program, giving restored classics and new releases equal billing. Haynes arrives with longtime producer Christine Vachon to deliver a masterclass and present restorations of his Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “Poison” (1991) and “Safe” (1995).

“He’s a great cinephile,” programming head Maelle Arnaud told Variety. “He’ll introduce a lot of screenings, but we also want him to enjoy the festival as a movie buff. He’ll be a great guest not only for what he contributes as a guest, but as a spectator, too.”

Led by Thierry Frémaux, who also heads the Cannes Film Festival, the Lumière Festival has become an increasingly valuable stop for filmmakers promoting new work. Its previews include Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Cannes Grand Prix winner “Minotaur” and Lukas Dhont’s “Coward,” whose leads shared the Croisette’s best actor prize.

László Nemes, whose debut “Son of Saul” (2015) won the then foreign-language film Oscar, brings fellow Cannes competition entry “Moulin.” Christophe Honoré’s “Mariage au goût d’orange” and Daniel Auteuil’s “La Troisième nuit” also arrive from Cannes. Lee Chang-dong’s Venice entry “Possible Love” and Guillaume Canet’s “Karma” further bolster the previews.

“From the beginning, we wanted no separation between films of the past and new films, because they are all part of cinema history,” Arnaud said. “Being part of a festival that celebrates that history means something special to filmmakers. They know it will be an important promotion for the film. We’re very proud of having achieved that harmony.”

Television also finds a place: Bérénice Bejo and Irène Jacob will present the opening episodes of “Alice,” Virginie Verrier and Guillaume Lonergan’s series about pioneering filmmaker Alice Guy, in which they both star.

Eggers hosts an overnight program including his “Nosferatu” (2024), while Zhang introduces Ang Lee’s four-time Oscar winner “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), which launched her to global stardom, at Lyon’s 5,000-seat Halle Tony Garnier. Tsui, a leading force in Hong Kong’s New Wave, revisits his action comedy “Peking Opera Blues” (1986).

Nadine Labaki’s tribute spans her debut “Caramel” (2007) and Cannes Jury Prize winner and Oscar nominee “Capernaum” (2018). Actor-writer-director Agnès Jaoui will discuss her cinematic influences and revisit her Oscar-nominated debut “The Taste of Others” (2000), while independent U.S. filmmaker Abel Ferrara brings his “Bad Lieutenant” (1992) and memoir “Scène. Mémoires.”

The tributes also give older films a fresh theatrical life. Only two titles in the 12-film Norman Jewison retrospective were initially available digitally with French subtitles, Arnaud said. U.S. studios and repertory distributor Park Circus helped supply new screening materials, making the films available to theaters across France.

Some 180 restoration submissions brought discoveries including titles less familiar internationally, such as Brazil’s “L’Ivrogne” (Gilda de Abreu, 1946) and Croatia’s “Rondo” (Zvonimir Berković, 1966).

Warner Bros.’ production and distribution label Clockwork is also digging into its catalogue with a 4K restoration of Ken Russell’s provocative historical drama “The Devils” (1971).

“The idea is to exhume from their catalogue not only the big classics, but also these unusual films, and bring them back to audiences,” Arnaud said. “It’s an important investment to present another face of their catalogue.”

Selected restorations receive the festival’s Lumière Classics label. “The Lumière Classics label is increasingly recognised, not just in France, but also internationally,” Arnaud said. “Being a successful festival matters because it helps preserve film heritage around the world.”

This year, the ongoing women filmmakers strand broadens its focus from a single director to seven, including Abreu, Elaine May and Paula Delsol. Spanning Brazil, Hong Kong, Britain and Hungary, among other territories, the selection brings renewed attention to women who shaped their national cinemas but whose work has often remained in the shadows.

Other retrospectives revisit Ettore Scola and Louis Daquin, while the “Trésors et curiosités” section offers a mix of rarities, rediscoveries and established classics, such as Croatia’s “Rondo” or Josef von Sternberg’s “Shanghaï Express” (1931). With Greece among the countries honored at the International Classic Film Market, Lumière will revisit the golden age of Greek cinema.

Closer to home, Lumière is teaming with the neighbouring Annecy Festival, bringing together two leading festivals – one devoted to heritage film and the other to animation. Previews of two-time animation Oscar winner Brad Bird’s “Ray Gunn” and Travis Knight’s “Wildwood” mark the start of the partnership.

Silent cinema retains pride of place with Chaplin’s 1915-16 shorts in concert, “Metropolis” (Fritz Lang, 1927), with the Orchestre National de Lyon premiering Don Davis’ score, and Clara Bow’s “It” (Clarence G. Badger, 1927), bringing the original “It Girl” to the 1,900-seat Auditorium de Lyon.

The Lumière Festival runs Oct. 10-18 in Lyon.