ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Cannes 2026 lineup announced with no Italian films in competition for first time in nine years

festival-fair · 2026-04-09

The 79th Cannes Film Festival is scheduled for May 12 to 23, 2026, with selections revealed by president Iris Knobloch and general delegate Thierry Frémaux. Notably, this year marks the first absence of Italian films in the main competition in nine years. The festival will kick off with 'La Vénus électrique,' directed by Pierre Salvadori, set in Paris in 1928. Competing films feature contributions from Andrey Zvyagintsev, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Ira Sachs, and Pedro Almodóvar, among others. Out of competition, films by Andy Garcia and Nicolas Winding Refn will be showcased. Midnight screenings will include works by Bertrand Mandico and Quentin Dupieux, while Un Certain Regard will present films by Sandra Wollner and Laïla Marrakchi. The opening ceremony will be led by actress Eye Haidara.

Key facts

  • The 79th Cannes Film Festival runs from May 12 to 23, 2026
  • No Italian films appear in competition for the first time in nine years
  • Opening film is Pierre Salvadori's 'La Vénus électrique,' a romantic burlesque comedy set in 1928 Paris
  • Festival president Iris Knobloch and general delegate Thierry Frémaux announced the selection
  • Opening ceremony will be hosted by actress Eye Haidara
  • Competition includes films by Pedro Almodóvar, Asghar Farhadi, Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi
  • Out of competition selections include films by Andy Garcia, Nicolas Winding Refn, and Guillaume Canet
  • Special screenings feature documentaries by Steven Soderbergh and Ron Howard

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Festival di Cannes
  • Berlin International Film Festival
  • Artribune
  • Festival de Cannes
  • Cannes Première
  • Un Certain Regard
  • Revista cultural el Hype
  • Cannes Film Festival
  • Directors' Fortnight (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs)
  • Cannes Classics
  • Academy Awards (Oscars)
  • Pathé Palace
  • AFP
  • RFI
  • France 24
  • Hollywood studios

Locations

  • Cannes
  • France
  • Paris
  • Italy
  • Berlin
  • Germany
  • Spain
  • Europe
  • Asia
  • North America
  • Romania
  • Hungary
  • Poland
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Russia
  • South Korea
  • Chile
  • Sweden
  • Scotland
  • Ireland
  • Ethiopia
  • China
  • Argentina
  • Japan
  • Iran
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Central African Republic
  • Palestine
  • Morocco
  • Nepal
  • Rwanda
  • United States
  • Los Angeles
  • United Kingdom
  • Latvia
  • Costa Rica
  • Denmark
  • Cuba
  • Bobigny
  • La Croisette

Sources

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