Rami Malek stars in The Man I Love

Rami Malek reached Cannes this week with “The Man I Love,” a late-festival competition title directed by Ira Sachs and set in late-1980s New York. The Cannes Film Festival lists the film in Competition and says it screened on May 20 at 13:30. Festival materials identify Malek as playing Jimmy, a downtown performance artist confronting illness, desire and the approach of death. Vanity Fair’s Cannes live coverage said Malek became emotional at the film’s premiere, both during the screening and in the premiere atmosphere around the carpet. TF1, in its day-10 Cannes live report, also highlighted Malek’s arrival as the festival moved into its final stretch and noted that Penélope Cruz appeared on the steps for “La Bola Negra.” (festival-cannes.com) ### Where does “The Man I Love” sit in the Cannes lineup? The Cannes Film Festival lists “The Man I Love” as an Official Selection title in Competition, placing it in the Palme d’Or race. The festival’s 2026 selection release includes the film among the Competition feature lineup, and Malek’s own Cannes profile links him to that entry. (festival-cannes.com) The festival’s site says Sachs returned to Competition seven years after “Frankie.” In Cannes’ description, the new film follows Jimmy George through “an extraordinary moment between great illness and death” while still pursuing beauty and love. ### What has Cannes itself said about the film and Malek’s role? (festival-cannes.com) Cannes’ official film page names Rami Malek, Tom Sturridge, Luther Ford, Rebecca Hall and Ebon Moss-Bachrach in the cast. The same page says the story is set in “the vibrant era of late 80s New York.” The festival’s media library shows the film generated a full Cannes press cycle on May 21, including a photocall and press conference for Sachs and cast members including Malek. (festival-cannes.com) Those entries place the film among the day’s central Competition events rather than a side screening or market title. ### Why was Malek a focal point of the premiere coverage? (festival-cannes.com) Vanity Fair’s live Cannes coverage singled out Malek’s emotional reaction at the premiere, making his response part of the immediate story around the screening. The upstream reports cited by editors framed that reaction as one of the notable moments from the festival’s final days. (festival-cannes.com) Rami Malek’s presence also stood out because Cannes is treating the film as a major Competition entry late in the festival calendar. The official site surfaced “The Man I Love” across its homepage, film page and media library on May 21, alongside other daily premieres and Competition events. ### How does Penélope Cruz fit into the same Cannes moment? (festival-cannes.com) TF1’s day-10 Cannes report paired attention on “The Man I Love” with Penélope Cruz’s appearance on the steps for “La Bola Negra.” Cannes’ daily schedule lists “La Bola Negra” as a May 21 Competition screening at the Grand Théâtre Lumière. That scheduling placed two star-driven Competition titles at the center of the same late-festival news cycle. (festival-cannes.com) TF1’s framing, as summarized in the briefing and supported by Cannes’ schedule, shows Malek and Cruz surfacing in parallel as the Palme d’Or race neared its close. ### What comes next at Cannes for this film? (festival-cannes.com) Cannes runs its 79th edition from May 12 to May 23, according to the festival site. The festival homepage also says Competition reruns are scheduled for Saturday, May 23, as the event heads toward its awards close. “The Man I Love” now moves from premiere coverage into the final Competition stretch, where the next concrete milestone is the festival’s closing awards sequence on May 23. (festival-cannes.com) Cannes’ official pages remain the primary place tracking screenings, press events and Competition status for Sachs, Malek and the rest of the film’s cast.