Cannes names 22 films for competition, Park Chan-wook among selections
- Festival de Cannes said on April 9 it selected 22 films for the 2026 main competition, the lineup that will contend for this year’s Palme d’Or. - Park Chan-wook, named jury president on February 26, will lead the panel awarding the prize on May 23, in what Cannes called a first for Korean cinema. - Cannes runs through May 23, with schedules and the full selection posted on the festival’s official programme pages.
The Cannes Film Festival said its 2026 main competition includes 22 films competing for the Palme d’Or, with directors including Pedro Almodóvar, Asghar Farhadi, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Cristian Mungiu and Koreeda Hirokazu in the lineup. The festival published the official selection on April 9 and said the list was updated on April 23 after additional titles were added. South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, announced in February as jury president, will lead the panel that chooses the winner. The 79th edition of Cannes is running from May 12 to May 23, according to festival organizers. ### Which films are in the main competition? The festival’s selection page lists 22 feature films in competition. They are “Amarga Navidad” by Pedro Almodóvar, “Coward” by Lukas Dhont, “Das Geträumte Abenteuer (The Dreamed Adventure)” by Valeska Grisebach, “El Ser Querido (The Beloved)” by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, “Fatherland” by Pawel Pawlikowski, “Fjord” by Cristian Mungiu, “Garance” by Jeanne Herry, “Gentle Monster” by Marie Kreutzer, “Histoires de la Nuit (The Birthday Party)” by Léa Mysius, “Histoires Parallèles (Parallel Tales)” by Asghar Farhadi, “Hope” by Na Hong-jin, “L’Inconnue (The Unknown)” by Arthur Harari, “La Bola Negra” by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, “La Vie d’une Femme (A Woman’s Life)” by Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet, “Minotaur” by Andreï Zviaguintsev, “Moulin” by László Nemes, “Nagi Notes” by Fukada Koji, “Notre Salut (A Man of His Time)” by Emmanuel Marre, “Paper Tiger” by James Gray, “Sheep in the Box” by Koreeda Hirokazu, “Soudain (All of a Sudden)” by Hamaguchi Ryusuke and “The Man I Love” by Ira Sachs. (festival-cannes.com) The April 23 update added “Another Day” by Jeanne Herry to the press-release version of the competition list, while the festival’s selection page shows “Garance” in competition. Cannes said the official selection list is “regularly updated,” and its programme pages are the public reference point for screenings and sections. (festival-cannes.com) ### Who is Park Chan-wook in this year’s lineup? Park Chan-wook will not compete for the Palme d’Or this year, but he will preside over the jury for the feature-film competition, Cannes said on February 26. The festival said his appointment is “a first for Korean cinema.” Cannes said Park first broke through at the festival with “Old Boy,” which won the Grand Prix in 2004. (festival-cannes.com) The festival also noted that “Thirst” won the Jury Prize in 2009 and that “Decision to Leave” earned him best director in 2022. ### Which names stand out in the competition field? Pedro Almodóvar, Asghar Farhadi, James Gray, Cristian Mungiu, László Nemes, Pawel Pawlikowski and Koreeda Hirokazu are among the most established directors in the 22-film field. (festival-cannes.com) Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Lukas Dhont also return to competition, while Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet, Léa Mysius and Emmanuel Marre are among the directors with newer Cannes competition entries in the mix. The selection also stretches across multiple national cinemas, with filmmakers from Spain, France, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Belgium and the United States represented on the competition list published by Cannes. That geographic spread is visible in the festival’s official titles and director roster. ### When was the lineup announced, and why are some reports dated later? (festival-cannes.com) April 9 was the date Cannes published its official selection press release and said festival president Iris Knobloch and director Thierry Frémaux unveiled the films in Paris. The same release says the list was updated on April 23 after additions to the official selection. (festival-cannes.com) May 14 references in media coverage appear to reflect ongoing festival reporting after Cannes had already opened on May 12, rather than the first publication date of the competition slate. The festival’s own programme page says the films and events for the 79th edition were unveiled at the April 9 press conference. ### What happens next before the Palme d’Or is awarded? (festival-cannes.com) May 23 is the date Cannes said Park Chan-wook and his jury will award the 2026 Palme d’Or on the stage of the Grand Théâtre Lumière. Screenings for the competition and the rest of the official selection are listed on the festival’s programme pages during the run of the event. (festival-cannes.com) The festival said the 79th edition runs from May 12 through May 23. Cannes is also publishing schedules, section listings and ticketing information through its official programme and selection pages as the event continues. (festival-cannes.com 1) (festival-cannes.com 2)
