As the sun set over the Croisette and film legends walked the Palais, three unforgettable experiences emerged to define the 2025 Cannes Film Festival not just as moments in time, but as statements of culture, creativity, and the future of entertainment. From the intellectual gravitas of The Elvis Suite, to the gothic glamour of BLOOD/LOVE, and finally the futuristic fantasy of the THIS IS IT yacht, Cannes wasn’t just about cinema this year it was about immersion.
The Elvis Suite: Where Film Had Something to Say
Held from May 16 to May 19 at the exclusive Villa des Etoiles, The Elvis Suite was hosted by legendary critic and KCRW’s The Treatment host Elvis Mitchell. Part of the Espace Croisette hub, the suite once again proved why it’s become a fixture on the international festival circuit after its successful Sundance debut.
But The Elvis Suite was never about flash it was about substance. It offered guests intimate access to unfiltered conversations with cinema’s most influential minds. Highlights included conversations with Bill Murray and Wes Anderson about The Phoenician Scheme, Zoey Deutch and Richard Linklater on Nouvelle Vague, and a horror panel with Eli Roth and Sean Byrne. The lineup read like a syllabus for a masterclass in global filmmaking.
Far from being just another industry lounge, The Elvis Suite provided a space where culture could breathe. It was a gathering of thinkers, creators, and storytellers. From AI’s impact on film with Google and Range Media Partners to deeply personal projects like Die, My Love and Lucky Lu, The Elvis Suite was the intellectual anchor of the festival.
Yet for all its gravitas, The Elvis Suite wasn’t alone in captivating Cannes this year.
BLOOD/LOVE: A Popera That Bit Into the Croisette
On May 17, Cannes took a turn toward the theatrical with BLOOD/LOVE, a vampire rock “popera” that broke every rule in the book—and thrilled the cultural elite while doing it. Held at the same Villa des Étoiles, the immersive one-night event felt more like a dream sequence than a debut. Guests stepped into a full-bodied world of gothic fashion, live music, and dark romance created by visionary artist Carey Sharpe.
Dru DeCaro’s live performance scored the night with emotional weight, while Andrea Fabrizii’s cinematic DJ set transformed the villa into an after-hours fantasy. Attendees were dressed to “slay,” literally. The guest list shimmered with the likes of Cuba Gooding Jr., Hofit Golan, Shannon K, and Selling Sunset’s Jason Oppenheim. The night was both a spectacle and a bold promotional strategy for the show’s anticipated 2026 New York debut.
Where The Elvis Suite celebrated cinema’s past and future, BLOOD/LOVE embodied theater’s next act one that is experiential, genre-defying, and unabashedly stylish.
THIS IS IT: The Yacht That Premiered the Future
But if Cannes had a single jaw-dropping centerpiece this year, it floated just offshore.
Commissioned by Tasos Papanastasiou and managed by IYC, the THIS IS IT yacht became the most coveted venue of the festival. With its aerodynamic design and sculptural architecture, THIS IS IT wasn’t just a superyacht it was a floating vision of tomorrow.
Opening the festival on May 13, an ultra-exclusive, Bond-themed party lit up the water under the curatorial direction of Christine Panagi and Splendid Events. Futuristic interiors, and six opulent staterooms redefined what it means to host during Cannes. Guests danced to an electrifying set by DJ Cruz, while the glowing structure itself became the most shared image on social media.
The THIS IS IT yacht continued to draw a crowd of Hollywood Elite, with Rihanna hosting an exclusive event, Scott Eastwood and Luke Wilson hanging out on it’s gorgeous decks, and an exclusive list of whose-who being invited to join the fun and sip AIX rosè (because when in Cannes!) on the futuristic mega yacht, that had everyone in Cannes begging for an invite aboard.
THIS IS IT proved that innovation doesn’t just belong on the screen it belongs everywhere, even at sea.
Three Pillars, One Festival
The 2025 Cannes Film Festival wasn’t defined by any single screening or standing ovation it was defined by moments that transcended tradition. The Elvis Suite reminded us why film matters. BLOOD/LOVE seduced us into a future where storytelling breaks boundaries. And THIS IS IT showed us that the venues themselves can steal the show.
If Cannes has long been about prestige, 2025 redefined that term. Prestige isn’t just who attends—it’s about how an event dares to reshape expectation. And in that spirit, these three moments didn’t just stand out—they raised the bar for festivals to come.
