The 79th edition of the Festival de Cannes has officially unveiled its full selection of films, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated cinematic events of the year, scheduled to take place from May 12 to 23, 2026.
Announced by Festival President Iris Knobloch and General Delegate Thierry Frémaux, this year’s lineup reflects a diverse and ambitious international program spanning major auteurs, emerging voices, and highly anticipated world premieres.
The festival will open with “La Vénus Électrique” by Pierre Salvadori, launching a program that brings together global cinema across multiple sections, including Competition, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Première, Midnight Screenings, Special Screenings, and Out of Competition.
The Competition section features a strong slate of acclaimed filmmakers, including Pedro Almodóvar (Amarga Navidad), Asghar Farhadi (Parallel Tales), Hirokazu Kore-eda (Sheep in the Box), Park Chan-wook (Hope), and the Dardenne tradition of social realism is echoed through works like Lukas Dhont (Coward) and Ryusuke Hamaguchi (All of Sudden). Other notable entries include Pawel Pawlikowski (Fatherland), Agnès Jaoui (L’Objet du Délit), and Zvyagintsev (Minotaur), marking a powerful return for several major directors.
The Un Certain Regard section continues its focus on bold and emerging voices, featuring films such as Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma by Jane Schoenbrun, alongside first-time features from international filmmakers across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
In the Midnight Screenings, genre-driven and experimental works take center stage, including titles by Quentin Dupieux (Full Phil) and Yeon Sang-ho (Gun-Che (Colony)), while the Cannes Première section showcases established names such as Daniel Auteuil and Volker Schlöndorff.
The festival also highlights a strong selection of Special Screenings, including new works from Ron Howard (Avedon) and Steven Soderbergh (John Lennon: The Last Interview), reinforcing Cannes’ commitment to blending artistic cinema with cultural and historical storytelling.
With its 2026 selection, Cannes once again positions itself as a global platform for cinematic excellence, bringing together visionary directors, debut filmmakers, and boundary-pushing storytelling from around the world.