All articles tagged with #cannes 2026
Vulture’s Cannes 2026 roundup highlights eight standout titles that leaned into queer energy and lean storytelling, from Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma to Fjord and The Black Ball, celebrating bold directorial voices and compact runtimes at a festival that felt smaller but still provocative.
IndieWire’s Cannes 2026 Critics’ Picks go beyond the festival’s prize winners to spotlight a slate of under-the-radar titles—from All of a Sudden and The Black Ball to Paper Tiger and Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep—celebrating bold storytelling, standout performances, and cross‑platform releases across Neon, Netflix, and Mubi.
The 79th Cannes Film Festival has concluded with Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord winning the Palme d’Or; coverage also highlights critics’ favorites and ongoing post-festival coverage.
At Cannes 2026, Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord won the Palme d’Or, with Barbra Streisand slated for an Honorary Palme but unable to attend due to a knee injury; Isabelle Huppert delivered remarks praising Streisand’s career. The festival’s other prizes went to Best Director (La Bola Negra and Fatherland), Best Screenplay (Emmanuel Marre for A Man of His Time), Best Actress (Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto for All of a Sudden), Best Actor (Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne for Coward), and Best Short Film (Para Los Contincantes). Un Certain Regard honored Everytime with Best Film, Elephants in the Fog with the Jury Prize, and Iron Boy with a Special Jury Prize; Honorary Palmes were also awarded to Peter Jackson and John Travolta.}
Rolling Stone’s Cannes 2026 rundown highlights ten standout titles—from Hamaguchi’s All of a Sudden and Sorogoyen’s The Beloved to Club Kid and a director’s cut of Ken Russell’s The Devils—along with several strong restagings and bold new voices (Ben’imana, Fatherland, Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean, Minotaur, Paper Tiger, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma). The piece underscores intimate character studies, sharp satire on moviemaking, and restorations that resonate today, while noting honorable mentions and brisk industry buzz around acquisitions and next-year anticipation.
At Cannes 2026, Fjord won the Palme d’Or, extending Neon’s seven-film winning streak and boosting the title as an early Best Picture contender for the 2027 Oscars thanks to Cristian Mungiu’s cross-border move and a cast led by Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan. Neon’s track record suggests Cannes titles can translate into Oscar momentum, even as the festival featured few American entries and a slate of international, awards-friendly titles (All of a Sudden, Fatherland, Paper Tiger). The result signals a more global, indie-led Oscar race next year as the Academy broadens its voting pool.
Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord won the Palme d’Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, with Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur taking the Grand Prix and The Dreamed Adventure by Valeska Grisebach winning the Jury Prize. Best Director was shared by Javier Ambrossi & Javier Calvo for The Black Ball and Paweł Pawlikowski for Fatherland (tie); Best Actress went to Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto for All of a Sudden, and Best Actor to Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne for Coward. The awards also honored A Man of His Time for Best Screenplay, plus various prizes across Un Certain Regard, Caméra d’Or, and honorary recognitions for Peter Jackson, Barbara Streisand, and John Travolta.
IndieWire critic David Ehrlich argues Cannes 2026 offered a weak lineup, but three films—Camp Miasma (Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Mishima) by Jane Schoenbrun, Club Kid by Pawel Pawlikowski, and Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur—stood out for their bold formal daring and incisive examinations of identity and reality. Camp Miasma uses autofictional horror to map mind and body, Club Kid follows a sober, maturation arc of a gay Manhattan scenester, and Minotaur places a domestic crisis within a brutal geopolitical frame, culminating in a haunting final image. Together, they demonstrate cinema’s power to disrupt and redefine perception even amidst a festival lineup Ehrlich found lacking overall.
The Hollywood Reporter’s critics’ picks crown the 20 best films from Cannes 2026, spanning Competition, Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week, and highlighting a diverse lineup—from intimate dramas and ambitious epics to bold genre fare—led by standout entries from Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Paweł Pawlikowski.
Cannes 2026 looked quiet on the surface with no blockbuster studio premieres, but it signaled a seismic shift: Hollywood largely stayed away, while LGBTQ+ storytelling dominated the buzz (films like The Man I Love, Coward, La Bola Negra, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, and Club Kid drew ovations and chatter); the Marché finally found momentum through high‑profile deals such as Club Kid sold to A24 and Netflix acquisitions in play for The Black Ball and In Waves; off‑screen drama over Canal+/Bolloré highlighted tensions in French cinema; and AI moved from fear to pragmatism—ban in competition yet embraced at the market with an AI‑focused summit and a multiyear Meta partnership—marking a turning point for indie production and festival marketing.
At Cannes 2026, jury president Park Chan-wook led a panel that awarded ties in three major categories: Best Director (La Bola Negra’s Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi tied with Paweł Pawlikowski for Fatherland), Best Actor (Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne for Coward), and Best Actress (Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto for All Of A Sudden). The outcome sparked questions about the decisions, while Chloe Zhao praised the Palme d’Or as reflecting the jury’s diversity and Park quipped that he had no choice in the end.
At Cannes 2026, the closing weekend becomes a fashion showcase as Monica Bellucci, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Bella Hadid and other stars light up the Croisette with a spectrum of couture from Chanel, Dior and Schiaparelli to dramatic bows, feathered embellishments and sculptural shoulders, while headlines include baby bumps, high-glamour gowns and gala appearances that keep Hollywood glamour alive even as some studios skip the festival.
Cannes 2026 ended with Park Chan-wook’s jury unveiling the prize lineup: Barbra Streisand received an Honorary Palme d’Or; the Caméra d’Or went to Ben’imana by Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo; the Short Film Palme d’Or went to Para Los Contrincantes by Federico Luis; Best Actress went to Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto for All of a Sudden; Best Actor to Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne for Coward; Best Screenplay to Emmanuel Marre for A Man of His Time; and the Palme d’Or winner was announced during the live ceremony as part of the full prize slate.
At Cannes 2026, the closing ceremony has begun with Park Chan-wook heading the jury as winners are announced live; Barbra Streisand was honored with an honorary Palme d’Or, and Tilda Swinton will present the top prize, with Neon’s contenders in play as the full winners list updates in real time.
IndieWire’s review of Lukas Dhont’s Coward praises its lyrical WWI setting and strong debut performances as two soldiers fall in love amid drag performances and frontline battles. While the film is beautiful, emotionally affecting, and stands as a quieter, less confrontational entry in Dhont’s oeuvre, it’s described as decorous and not as groundbreaking as his earlier work, suggesting Dhont may move beyond queer suffering in future projects. Grade B; premiered at Cannes 2026; US distribution still uncertain.