TikTok made its biggest impact yet at the Cannes Film Festival this year, surprising creators and expanding its presence at the prestigious event. In one of the most buzzed-about moments, Tom Cruise appeared at a private event hosted by TikTok and Paramount, where he gave a talk about his upcoming film Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.
Cruise spoke to 34 TikTok creators gathered at the J.W. Marriott, who thought they were attending a routine content workshop. Instead, they were treated to a 20-minute fireside chat hosted by creator Reece Feldman (@guywithamoviecamera), followed by an hour of one-on-one time with Cruise himself. “The only way to learn is to jump in,” Cruise advised. “Don’t wait to know everything.”
TikTok’s head of content operations for EMEA, Marlène Masure, called the moment a major milestone for the platform. “Having two hours with Tom Cruise shows the power of our movie community,” she said. “It should encourage other studios to give creators more access.”
TikTok’s growing footprint at Cannes included a branded party, an industry brunch featuring Daniel Kaluuya, and the premiere of Feldman’s first short film, Wait, Your Car?. The dark comedy, starring Whitney Peak and Ruby Cruz, follows four girls dealing with a possibly murderous car. The screening drew a full house, with Feldman calling the moment a lifelong dream.
The short film was written, shot, and edited in just three months, after TikTok offered Feldman the opportunity in February. He plans to take it around the festival circuit as a showcase of his directorial style. “It shows my tone, timing, and humor,” he said. “I want people to recognize my voice as a filmmaker.”
TikTok has been a Cannes partner since 2021 and uses the festival to elevate its film-focused #FilmTok community. This year, videos with the hashtag #Cannes2025 reached over 27,000, up from 22,000 last year. Combined, festival creator posts drew more than 26 million views.
Creator and presenter Zainab Jiwa (@zeewhatidid) served as TikTok’s red carpet host, covering high-profile premieres like Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme and Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest. Jiwa, who gained viral fame for a Denzel Washington interview last year, says her goal is to bring her Gen Z audience inside an often exclusive world.
“I’ve always tried to take the audience with me,” she said. “Cannes seemed so unreachable before.”
Both Jiwa and Feldman are transparent about partnering with studios, but they maintain that their content isn’t shallow. Feldman’s conversation with Cruise focused on filmmaking techniques, not fluff. “It felt like one movie professional talking to another,” said Masure.
To Feldman, TikTok’s role at Cannes reflects a larger trend: film and social media are now deeply connected. “It’s not about asking stars to dance,” he said. “It’s about making festivals more accessible. TikTok is a public space, and it’s good that we’re hearing new voices.”
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