Cannes opens with 'La Vénus électrique' gala
- The 79th Cannes Film Festival opened May 12 with Pierre Salvadori’s “La Vénus électrique,” as Eye Haïdara hosted and Elijah Wood handed Peter Jackson an Honorary Palme. - Park Chan-wook leads the main jury, joined by Demi Moore, Chloé Zhao and Stellan Skarsgård, with the festival running through May 23. - This opening sets Cannes’ tone — auteur cinema first, star power second — with a lighter Hollywood footprint than some recent years.
Cannes is open again, and the opening-night signal was pretty clear. This year’s festival wants glamour, obviously, but it also wants to remind everyone that Cannes still sees itself as a place where cinema history, auteur prestige, and global taste-making all meet in one room. On Tuesday, May 12, the 79th edition kicked off with Pierre Salvadori’s “La Vénus électrique,” an Honorary Palme d’Or for Peter Jackson, and a jury led by Park Chan-wook. ### Why does the opening film matter? The opening film is basically Cannes declaring its mood for the next 12 days. “La Vénus électrique,” directed by Pierre Salvadori, premiered at the Grand Théâtre Lumière after the ceremony, which makes it more than just another screening — it becomes the festival’s first statement. Salvadori’s film is a period romantic comedy set against early-20th-century Paris, and Cannes clearly liked the idea of launching with something French, playful, and cinephile rather than a giant studio spectacle. (festival-cannes.com) ### What kind of movie is “La Vénus électrique”? It looks like a very Cannes kind of opener — elegant, literary, and a little mischievous. The festival describes it as a burlesque romantic comedy shaped by Salvadori’s usual themes of lies, ambiguity, and performance, but transplanted into a Roaring Twenties-style setting. The cast gives it weight inside France too: Pio Marmaï, Anaïs Demoustier, Gilles Lellouche, Vimala Pons, and Gustave Kervern. So even if the film is not the loudest title on paper, it fits the festival’s identity almost perfectly. (festival-cannes.com) ### Why was Peter Jackson the emotional center? Because opening night needed one undeniable crowd-pleaser, and Jackson was it. He received the Honorary Palme d’Or from Elijah Wood, which instantly turned the ceremony into a mini “Lord of the Rings” reunion. That pairing mattered — not just for nostalgia, but because Cannes was honoring a filmmaker it sees as both a fantasy blockbuster giant and a genuine formal innovator. Jackson’s Cannes history runs back to the market launch of “Bad Taste” and that famous 2001 “Fellowship of the Ring” preview that helped flip skepticism into excitement. (festival-cannes.com) ### Why is Park Chan-wook’s role a big deal? Because the jury president tells you a lot about what kind of artistic authority Cannes wants at the center of the competition. Park Chan-wook isn’t just a respected director — he’s one of the defining figures of modern Korean cinema. Cannes has stressed that this is the first time Korean cinema has supplied the president of the feature-film jury, which makes the choice feel symbolic as well as practical. It says something about where global film prestige sits now. (hollywoodreporter.com) ### Who else is judging? The main jury is stacked in a way that mixes movie-star visibility with filmmaker credibility. Alongside Park are Demi Moore, Ruth Negga, Laura Wandel, Diego Céspedes, Isaach De Bankolé, Paul Laverty, Chloé Zhao, and Stellan Skarsgård. That matters because Cannes juries are never just decorative — they decide the Palme d’Or, and the makeup of the room shapes what kind of winner feels possible. (festival-cannes.com) ### Why does the lighter Hollywood feel matter? Because it changes the temperature of the whole festival. Early coverage made the point that this year’s selection is lighter on obvious Hollywood bait, but opening night still had enough star wattage to keep the Croisette buzzing. That balance is classic Cannes at its most self-conscious — use celebrities to draw the cameras, then spend the rest of the festival arguing about cinema. (festival-cannes.com) ### What happens next? Now the real Cannes starts. The festival runs from May 12 to May 23, and the jury will spend those days watching the competition slate before handing out the Palme d’Or on closing night. So the gala is over, but the actual contest — and the annual fight over what counts as the year’s most important cinema — is just getting going. (hollywoodreporter.com) ### Bottom line? Opening night told you almost everything about Cannes 2026. A French opening film, a Peter Jackson coronation, and Park Chan-wook in the jury chair — that’s Cannes saying it still wants to be the place where film culture feels both grand and serious. (festival-cannes.com 1) (festival-cannes.com 2)
