‘The Black Ball’ and ‘Minotaure’ named Cannes frontrunners

World of Reel and France’s Écran Large put two different films at the center of late-stage Cannes awards talk on May 21, as the 2026 festival entered its final stretch before Saturday’s Palme d’Or announcement. World of Reel said Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s “The Black Ball” had been “crowned” a frontrunner by Oscar bloggers, while Écran Large wrote that Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Minotaure” was already being treated as a favorite. Festival de Cannes lists both titles in the main Competition lineup for the 79th edition, which runs from May 12 to May 23. The official selection page identifies “La Bola Negra” as the film’s festival title and lists “Minotaur” by Andrey Zvyagintsev in the same section. ### Which films are being singled out in the final days? (worldofreel.com) World of Reel’s May 21 item said “The Black Ball” had emerged as a Palme d’Or frontrunner among “Oscar bloggers” attending the festival. The post described the film as “Weinstein-era Oscar bait” and compared it to “The Hours,” framing the movie as a prestige play in the final days of the Cannes race. (festival-cannes.com) Écran Large’s May 21 review said “Minotaure” was “déjà favori pour la Palme,” or already a favorite for the Palme d’Or. The French outlet described the film as a “thriller conjugal” set against the Russo-Ukrainian war and called it a “thriller choc” in its headline. ### What do the official Cannes materials say about them? (worldofreel.com) Festival de Cannes says “La Bola Negra” is directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi and is part of the 2026 Competition slate. The festival’s media library also shows the film on the Red Steps on May 21, placing its premiere in the closing days of the event. (ecranlarge.com) The official Cannes page for “Minotaur” gives the film’s setting as Russia in 2022 and says it follows Gleb, a prosperous businessman whose life collapses into violence as his professional and personal world destabilizes. The festival page presents the title in Competition under Zvyagintsev’s name. ### Why is Zvyagintsev’s film drawing added attention? (festival-cannes.com) Ioncinema said this year’s “Minotaur” marks Zvyagintsev’s first feature after a long recovery from severe Covid and noted that his previous films have been regular fixtures in Cannes. A separate write-up reproducing Écran Large’s review said the director returned to Cannes after nine years away. (festival-cannes.com) Écran Large tied that history directly to the new film’s reception, saying Zvyagintsev had come back to the Croisette with a title already being discussed in Palme terms. That characterization is Écran Large’s, not an official Cannes assessment. ### What is known about “The Black Ball” beyond the awards chatter? (ioncinema.com) Deadline’s Cannes day-10 photo roundup said Thursday’s lineup included “La Bola Negra (The Black Ball)” and identified the filmmakers as Spanish duo Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo. A separate entertainment report said the film premiered on May 21. World of Reel’s post is notable because it did not present a jury leak or festival statement. (ecranlarge.com) It reported a mood among awards-watchers on the ground, using that reaction to elevate “The Black Ball” in the final 48 hours before prizes are handed out. (deadline.com) ### When does the speculation end? The 79th Cannes Film Festival runs through May 23, according to the festival’s official materials. Deadline also reported that the closing ceremony will include an honorary Palme d’Or presentation, even though Barbra Streisand said she would not attend because of an injury. (worldofreel.com) May 23 is the next fixed date in the story: that is when Cannes is due to announce the Palme d’Or and the rest of the Competition awards, ending the run of late-festival frontrunner claims around “The Black Ball,” “Minotaure,” and the rest of the field. (festival-cannes.com)