As the Cannes Film Festival 2025 wraps up, a cinematic tradition lives on: the unveiling of Y.M.Cinema’s Cannes Camera Chart. Based on IndieWire’s excellent cinematography survey (Cannes 2025: IndieWire’s Survey), this year’s data paints a clear picture — or rather, a clear frame — of where the world’s most prestigious filmmakers are heading. The verdict? ARRI still dominates, Super 35 rules, and the ARRI ALEXA 35 is the new monarch of the Croisette. Gone are the days of equal footing between large format and Super 35. If Cannes 2024 hinted at a return to tradition, Cannes 2025 shouts it from the rooftops: Super 35 isn’t just back — it’s dominant.

A New King: ARRI ALEXA 35 Dethrones the Mini

In our previous analysis, we observed a gradual transition in ARRI’s dominance: the once-reigning ARRI Alexa Mini was still holding strong even into Cannes 2024, though the seeds of change were sown. At Cannes 2024, the ARRI ALEXA 35 emerged as a strong challenger. One year later, the torch has fully passed. The ALEXA 35 now leads the charge, outpacing even the Mini, which for years was synonymous with cinematic excellence. Its image pipeline, superior dynamic range, and tailored Super 35 sensor have made it the top choice for directors and cinematographers alike. ARRI didn’t just evolve; it reaffirmed its dominance with a new tool that filmmakers deeply trust.

Super 35: Old Format, New Era

If there was ever any doubt about the future of Super 35, Cannes 2024 proved that Super 35 is back into the game. Cannes 2025 only cements that trend. Large format cameras, once seen as the premium path to prestige, have taken a backseat — not because they aren’t capable, but because the industry is increasingly recognizing the aesthetic and technical strengths of Super 35 in narrative cinema. What’s perhaps more telling is how ARRI’s new offerings, like the ALEXA 35, have embraced this format, signaling to the market that resolution isn’t everything — emotion, texture, and story are.

RED: A Shrinking Presence

While RED once had a notable place on the Croisette, this year its presence was limited primarily to the entry-level RED Komodo. This is a sharp contrast to earlier years when RED’s DSMC2 line and its large format MONSTRO made occasional appearances. This doesn’t necessarily reflect poorly on RED’s image quality or capabilities — rather, it underscores the industry’s growing preference for tools that balance performance with flexibility, and perhaps more importantly, those that align with traditional cinematic workflows. The Komodo is a capable camera, and its inclusion at Cannes shows RED still has a foothold, albeit a modest one.

Sony VENICE: A Steady Hand

In contrast, Sony’s VENICE platform continues to maintain a steady and respected presence. With its versatile color science and dual base ISO and extraordinary codec, the VENICE remains a favorite among select high-end productions. It hasn’t surged forward as a disruptive force, but it also hasn’t faded. The VENICE is here to stay — a workhorse for prestige productions and a reliable alternative to ARRI.

Celluloid Revival: Film Cameras Still Roll

One of the most beautiful trends at Cannes 2025 is the ongoing presence of film cameras. While digital continues to dominate the numbers, a growing number of directors are still reaching for celluloid — not for nostalgia’s sake, but because of its timeless aesthetic. This year’s chart saw a strong, if small, cluster of 16mm and 35mm film productions, a reminder that Cannes still welcomes every visual language. Though the variety of digital ecosystems has shrunk, the analog spirit lives on, defiantly, among auteurs.

A Shrinking Camera Diversity: Homogenization Creeps In

Compared to Cannes 2021’s celebration of diversity, this year’s camera landscape feels more concentrated. The dominance of a single manufacturer (ARRI), a single model (ALEXA 35), and a single format (Super 35) signals a growing homogenization in high-end festival cinematography. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — standardization often follows innovation — but it does raise questions. Is the industry defaulting to safe tools at the expense of experimentation? Or is the ALEXA 35 simply that good?

Conclusion: Cannes Loves ARRI, Super 35, and Timeless Storytelling

Cannes 2025’s Camera Chart doesn’t just reflect a trend — it tells a story. ARRI ALEXA 35 has officially conquered the festival, signaling a deep industry alignment around Super 35 digital cinematography. RED has retreated to its most affordable line, Sony stays the course, and film refuses to die. From Cannes 2022’s Alexa Mini dominance to Cannes 2023’s reaffirmation, and now the rise of the ALEXA 35, this festival charts not just technical evolution but the aesthetic values the industry holds dear. So, is large format inferior? Not at all. But Cannes 2025 makes one thing clear: there’s nothing “entry-level” about Super 35 — not when it’s in the hands of masters.

Data and the Chart

Explore the list of films, cameras, and DPs, and below is the Camera Chart: 

As the festival continues to evolve and technology advances, one has to wonder: will future cinematographers continue to embrace the trusted legacy of Super 35, or will we see a resurgence of new formats reshaping the art of storytelling once again? And perhaps just as importantly, will the diversity of cameras return to the Croisette, or is the next Cannes Camera Chart destined to be as uniform — and as boring — as this one?

Here are the featured products and where you can buy them:

Sony VENICE Digital Motion Picture Cameras

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ARRI ALEXA 35 Cameras

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ARRI ALEXA Mini LF Cameras

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RED DIGITAL CINEMA KOMODO 6K

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