Cannes Film Festival Announces Competition Films for 79th Edition
Organisers of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival have officially unveiled the lineup of films competing for the festival's grand prize at its 79th edition. The event is set to open on May 12, 2026, with the premiere of Pierre Salvadori's new film, La Vénus électrique, at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, hosted by actor Eye Haïdara. The organisers hinted that the film will open simultaneously in theatres across France, marking a significant release strategy.
Films in Competition
The competition features a diverse array of international films, including:
- Amarga Navidad by Pedro Almodovar
- Parallel Tales by Asghar Farhadi
- A Woman’s Life by Charline Bouurgeois-Tacquiet
- La Bola Negra by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi
- Coward by Lukas Dhont
- Das Getraumte Abenteuer by Valeska Grisebach
- All of A Sudden by Hamaguchi
- The Unknown by Arthur Harari
- Another Day by Jeanne Herry
- Sheep in The Box by Kore-Eda Hirokazu
- Hope by Na Hong-Jin
- Nagi Notes by Fukada Koji
- Gentle Monster by Marie Kreutzer
- Notre Salut by Emmanuel Marre
- Fjord by Cristian Mungiu
- The Birthday Party by Lea Mysius
- Moulin by Leszio Nemes
- Fatherland by Pawel Pawlikowski
- The Man I love by Ira Sachs
- El Ser Querido by Rodrigo Sorogoyen (The Beloved)
- Minotaur by Andrey Zvyagintsev
Un Certain Regard Section
For the Un Certain Regard section, which highlights first films by directors, the opening film is Teenage Sex and Death At Camp Miasma by Jane Schoenbrun. Other films in this section include:
- Elephanys In The Fog by Abinash Bikram Shan
- Iron Boy by Louis Clichy
- Ben’Imana by Marie-Clemntine Dusabejambo
- Congo Boy by Rafiki
- Club Kid by Jordan Firstman
- Ula by Viestura Kairiss
- La Mas Dulce by Laila Marrakchi
- El Deshielo by Manuela Martelli
- Siempre Soy Tu Animal Materno (Forever Your Maternal Animal) by Valentina Maurel
- Yesterday The Eye Didn’t Sleep by Rakan Mayasi
- Words of Love by Rudi Rosenberg
- I’ll be Gone in June by Katharina Rivilis
- Everytime by Sandra Wollner
- All The Lover in The Night by Sode Yukiko
The Cannes Film Festival will run from May 12 to May 22, 2026, showcasing these films to a global audience.
Tokyo International Film Festival Opens Call for Entries
The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced that its 39th edition will take place from October 26 to November 4, 2026, in the Hibiya-Yurakucho-Marunouchi-Ginza area. As one of Asia's leading film festivals, TIFF is now accepting submissions from around the world for films that have not yet been released in Japan, including documentary and animation features.
The call for entries opened on April 7, 2026, and will close on July 7, 2026. The festival aims to showcase premieres by established filmmakers and outstanding works by emerging directors. Notably, the Asian Future section will highlight films by emerging Asian directors, including those from Japan and the Middle East, who have directed no more than three feature-length films.
African Indigenous Language Film Festival Integrates AI Summit
The African Indigenous Language Film Festival (AILFF 2026) has integrated the AILFF AI Strategy Summit on Indigenous Film Discoverability and Monetisation as a core pillar of its 2026 programme. This move strengthens its position as a leading platform for African indigenous language cinema, addressing the growing impact of artificial intelligence on film discovery, distribution, and monetization.
AILFF founder, Osezua Stephen-Imobhio, described the summit as a strategic intervention to equip African filmmakers with skills needed to compete in an algorithm-driven global screen economy. He emphasized that the summit, scheduled for July 23–25, 2026, in Parakou, is embedded within AILFF 2026 alongside screenings, awards, workshops, and networking sessions.
Summit Details
The summit will feature a keynote presentation titled "The Algorithmic Lens: Film Marketing, Distribution & Monetisation in the Age of AI." It highlights a major industry shift, where filmmakers must now consider whether algorithms can find their films, as weak metadata can render strong films invisible. The summit structure includes:
- Round Table Policy Dialogue
- AI Masterclass Workshop
- Innovation Lab for African Indigenous Film
This integration reflects the disruption facing African cinema and aims to attract filmmakers, distributors, marketers, students, policymakers, and technology innovators from across Africa, making it a defining highlight of AILFF 2026.
