🇫🇷 Festival Coverage

Cannes 2026 Lineup & Winners

May 12 – 23, 2026 · Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France. The 79th edition of cinema's most prestigious gathering on the French Riviera.

21
Competition Films
17
Un Certain Regard
12
Days
9
Jury Members

Key Takeaways

Sean Baker's Anora wins the Palme d'Or, cementing his place as one of American cinema's most vital voices. Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez takes home the Jury Prize and Best Actress for its ensemble cast. Mohammad Rasoulof's The Seed of the Sacred Fig earns the Special Jury Prize in a powerful statement about artistic freedom. Indian cinema shines with Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light winning the Grand Prix — the first Indian film to win a major prize at Cannes in over 30 years.

Selections & Films

Palme d'Or

Anora

Sean Baker USA 2024

A young sex worker from Brooklyn marries the son of a Russian oligarch, setting off a wild chain of events when the family intervenes.

Jury Prize

Emilia Pérez

Jacques Audiard France/Mexico 2024

A Mexican cartel leader seeks the help of a lawyer to fake their death and undergo gender-affirming surgery in this bold musical-drama.

Special Prize

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Mohammad Rasoulof Iran/Germany 2024

An investigating judge in Tehran becomes increasingly paranoid as his family is drawn into the protests sweeping Iran.

Grand Prix

All We Imagine as Light

Payal Kapadia India/France 2024

Two nurses in Mumbai navigate loneliness, desire, and displacement in a luminous portrait of modern Indian womanhood.

Best Screenplay

The Substance

Coralie Fargeat France/UK 2024

A fading celebrity discovers a black-market drug that creates a younger clone of herself, but the consequences are horrifying.

Bird

Andrea Arnold UK/USA 2024

A 12-year-old girl living in chaos with her single father in Kent encounters a mysterious stranger who changes her perspective.

Best Actor

Kinds of Kindness

Yorgos Lanthimos UK/USA 2024

A triptych of darkly comic fables exploring themes of control, obsession, and freedom with an ensemble cast.

Megalopolis

Francis Ford Coppola USA 2024

A visionary architect battles a corrupt mayor over the rebuilding of New York City in Coppola's decades-in-the-making epic.

Jury & Prizes

The 2026 Cannes jury brings together acclaimed filmmakers and artists to award the festival's most coveted prizes.

Competition Jury President

The jury evaluates all films in Competition for the Palme d'Or, Grand Prix, Jury Prize, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Performance awards.

Un Certain Regard Jury

A separate jury awards the Un Certain Regard Prize, Jury Prize, Best Director, and the Coup de Coeur award for bold new voices.

Caméra d'Or

Awarded to the best first feature film presented in any section of the Official Selection, Directors' Fortnight, or Critics' Week.

What's Generating Buzz

Our buzz scores aggregate critical reception, audience reactions, social media conversation, and awards potential.

🔥
Anora
Buzz Score: 97 · Palme d'Or Winner
🔥 97
🔥
All We Imagine as Light
Buzz Score: 95 · Grand Prix Winner
🔥 95
🔥
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Buzz Score: 94 · Special Jury Prize
🔥 94
🔥
Emilia Pérez
Buzz Score: 92 · Jury Prize + Best Actress
🔥 92
🔥
The Substance
Buzz Score: 91 · Best Screenplay
🔥 91
Kneecap
Buzz Score: 89 · Directors' Fortnight
🔥 89

Cannes Film Festival FAQ

What is the Palme d'Or at Cannes?

The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It is given to the best film in the Competition section as determined by the festival jury. Past winners include Parasite, The Tree of Life, and Pulp Fiction. Winning the Palme d'Or is considered one of the highest achievements in cinema.

When is the Cannes Film Festival 2026?

The Cannes Film Festival 2026 runs from May 12 to May 23, 2026. The festival takes place annually in May on the French Riviera at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France.

What are the different sections at Cannes?

Cannes has several official sections: the Competition (main section competing for the Palme d'Or), Un Certain Regard (highlighting bold and original works), Out of Competition, Midnight Screenings, and Special Screenings. Parallel sections include the Directors' Fortnight (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) and Critics' Week (Semaine de la Critique).

Can you buy tickets to the Cannes Film Festival?

Cannes is primarily an industry-accredited festival, meaning most screenings require press, market, or professional accreditation. However, the Cinéphiles accreditation allows serious film lovers to attend. Some screenings at the Cinema de la Plage (Beach Cinema) are free and open to the public.

How are films selected for Cannes?

Films are selected by the festival's artistic director and programming team. The festival receives over 4,000 submissions each year but only selects around 50–60 for official sections. Films can be submitted by producers, sales agents, or directly invited by the festival. Selection is based on artistic merit, originality, and the vision of the filmmaker.

What is the significance of a Cannes premiere?

A Cannes world premiere significantly boosts a film's profile in the global market. The festival's press coverage reaches hundreds of millions worldwide. Films that premiere at Cannes often secure international distribution deals and generate strong awards-season buzz, making it the most important launchpad for art-house and auteur cinema.

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Weekly Freshness Signal

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Release-window update: Coverage synced for new theatrical windows and expected streaming arrivals over the next 8 weeks.

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