Cannes names Minotaure, The Black Ball

The 79th Cannes Film Festival entered its final day on Friday with Andreï Zviaguintsev’s “Minotaur” and Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s “La Bola Negra” among the Competition titles drawing late attention before the Palme d’Or is awarded on May 23. Festival de Cannes lists both films in the main competition lineup for the edition running May 12-23. Deadline reported this week that “Minotaur” received a 10-minute ovation at its world premiere, while French and trade coverage has cast both films as names to watch in the closing stretch. Andreï Zviaguintsev returned to Cannes competition with “Minotaur” after years away from the festival, and Festival de Cannes said the film is set in Russia in 2022 and follows a businessman, his wife and their son as their life collapses into violence. Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi arrived in competition with “La Bola Negra,” which the festival says tells the stories of three men in three different eras, connected by sexuality, desire, pain and inheritance, and by one of Federico García Lorca’s unfinished works. (festival-cannes.com) ### Why are these two films in the Cannes conversation now? Deadline’s Cannes reviews list, updated during the festival, placed both titles among the films under active discussion as screenings continued through the final days. Vanity Fair’s live Cannes coverage said the festival was moving toward the announcement of the Palme d’Or as the event neared its close on May 23. French outlets moved into prediction mode at the same time, with L’Éclaireur Fnac describing the customary end-of-festival forecasting and other coverage focusing on likely prize contenders. (festival-cannes.com) World of Reel reported on May 21 that “The Black Ball,” the English title used for “La Bola Negra,” had been elevated by Oscar bloggers to frontrunner status. That characterization came from the outlet, not the festival, but it added to the late-week focus on the film as juries, critics and buyers converged on the last round of screenings. (deadline.com) ### What has been reported about “Minotaur”? Écran Large described “Minotaure” on May 21 as a “thriller choc” and said the film was already being viewed as a Palme favorite. Deadline’s review called the film an “ambiguous thriller” and said it skewers Russian corruption, while a separate Deadline report said the premiere drew one of the longer ovations at Cannes this year. (worldofreel.com) Festival de Cannes said in a feature published on May 21 that Zviaguintsev addresses the war in Ukraine as a backdrop in the film. The festival’s synopsis places the story in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and centers it on a middle-class family. ### What has been reported about “La Bola Negra”? Festival de Cannes published a feature on May 21 describing Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi as Spanish actors, showrunners and queer icons, and tied the film to themes of communication and inheritance. (ecranlarge.com) The festival’s film page says the story moves across three eras and three men. (festival-cannes.com) TF1 Info highlighted Penélope Cruz on the red carpet for “La Bola Negra” during its day-by-day Cannes coverage, adding star power to one of the festival’s late premieres. Deadline’s review, published on May 22, called the film a possible dark-horse Palme d’Or winner after it emerged in the festival’s closing days. ### Where do these films sit in the official lineup? (festival-cannes.com) Festival de Cannes lists “MINOTAUR (MINOTAURE)” by Andreï Zviaguintsev and “LA BOLA NEGRA” by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi in the 2026 In Competition feature-film slate. The same official selection page places them alongside films by Pedro Almodóvar, Asghar Farhadi, Cristian Mungiu, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Ira Sachs. The Cannes website says the 79th edition runs from May 12 to May 23, 2026. (deadline.com) The next step is Saturday’s closing ceremony in Cannes, where the jury will announce the Palme d’Or and the rest of the main competition prizes. (festival-cannes.com 1) (festival-cannes.com 2)