Cannes Film Festival Sets Date For Announcement Of 2026 Official Selection
The Cannes Film Festival has fixed the date for unveiling its Official Selection for the upcoming 79th edition.
Organizers announced that the full lineup will be disclosed on April 9 during a dedicated press conference in Paris. Leading the event will be Festival Delegate General Thierry Frémaux and President Iris Knobloch, who will present the selected titles spanning the main Competition and other sections of the festival program.
The 2026 festival itself is scheduled to take place from May 12 to May 23 on the French Riviera.
This confirmation arrives shortly after the festival revealed that renowned South Korean director Park Chan-wook—celebrated for films including Oldboy and No Other Choice will serve as president of the Competition jury. The complete list of jury members remains forthcoming.
The announcement heightens expectations following the vibrant 78th edition in 2025, which generated significant buzz and left a strong mark on the international awards circuit. That year’s festival featured world premieres of four out of the five films shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. These included Palme d’Or recipient It Was Just An Accident, Grand Prix winner Sentimental Value, Jury Prize honoree Sirāt, and The Secret Agent, the latter earning best director for Kleber Mendonça Filho and best actor for Wagner Moura.
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In Competition, audiences saw Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind and Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague. Un Certain Regard showcased directorial debuts from Kristen Stewart with The Chronology of Water and Scarlett Johansson with Eleanor the Great. Out-of-Competition screenings included major titles such as Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest.
As the industry turns its focus toward the April 9 reveal, film enthusiasts and professionals alike await what could be another landmark program of global cinema premieres and discoveries at Cannes.