Cannes is back: The 78th French film festival returns May 13-24 with a wave of world premieres that will set the tone for the movie year ahead. Months earlier than the fall corridor that once positioned the narrative for awards season, Cannes is now the go-to first stop for new films that want to make an impact on the fall race.

Just look at last year’s bounty: “Anora” won the Palme d’Or from a jury led by Greta Gerwig, played Telluride and Toronto, and went all the way to five Oscar wins for Best Picture, Best Director/Writer/Editor Sean Baker, and Best Actress Mikey Madison. Plus, 2024 competition winners including “The Substance” and “Emilia Pérez” also picked up Oscars, with “The Apprentice,” “The Girl with the Needle,” and “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” also netting Academy Awards nominations. The year before, Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall...