Cristian Mungiu's "Fjord" Wins the Palme d'Or of 79th annual Cannes Film Festival

The 79th annual Cannes Film Festival held from May 12 to May 23, 2026 in France.

"Clarissa", by the Esiri twin brothers of Nigeria that premiered in the DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT made the Best of Cannes 2026 Films selected by Hollywood Reporter 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/best-of-cannes-2026-1236601445/ 

Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize for a second time, for his drama film "Fjord". 

The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May, where it won the Palme d'Or, the François Chalais Prize, the FIPRESCI Prize and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury. It received positive reviews, with special praise for its screenplay.

In the first feature film prize of the night, Rwandan director Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo made history by winning the Caméra d’Or for best first film for Ben’Imana.

The film, which is the first Rwandan film to screen at the festival, explores the complexities of justice and reconciliation in Rwanda close to 20 years after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, through the experiences of a survivor. 

WINNERS LIST
Palme d’Or
Fjord, Cristian Mungiu

Grand Prize
Minotaur, Andreï Zviaguintsev

Best Actor
Emmanuel Macchia, Valentin Campagneshare for Coward

Best Actress
Virginie Efira and Tao Okamo for All Of A Sudden

Best Director tied
Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, La Bola Negra
Paweł Pawlikowski, Fatherland

Jury Prize
The Dreamed Adventure, Valeska Grisebach

Best Screenplay
Emmanuel Marre for A Man Of His Time (Notre Salut)

Camera d’Or
Ben’Imana, dir. Clémentine Dusabejambo

Short Film Palme d’Or
For The Opponents, dir. Federico Luis.

https://deadline.com/2026/05/cannes-2026-winners-live-

Clarissa: The Biggest Nigerian Film at the 2026 Annual Cannes Film Festival

 

Clarissa: The Biggest Nigerian Film at the 2026 Annual Cannes Film Festival

Clarissa is the second feature of the twin brothers,Arie and Chuko Esiri known for their award winning directorial feature, Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), of 2020 that was in official competition for the best feature at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival in Germany and other international film festivals.

Clarissa is the first Nigerian film to be selected for the annual Directors’ Fortnight and among the 19 international films selected for the 58th edition of the Directors’ Fortnight alongside the main 79th annual Cannes Film Festival taking place from 12 to 23 May 2026.

Clarissa was shot on 35mm across Lagos and Delta State in late 2025 with a budget of US$4 million. The film is an adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s 1925 romantic novel, “Mrs Dalloway” in Nigerian version about the drama unfolding as a society woman, Clarissa prepares to host a party at her home in Lagos city, where she will unexpectedly encounter once-intimate friends from her youth. As the group reflects on their shared past over the course of a single night, memories of their intricate relationships, passionate love, hidden desires, and lost aspirations give rise to bittersweet reckoning.

Starring acclaimed  Nigerian actress, Sophie Okonedo and actors,David Oyelowo, Ayo Edebiri, Toheeb Jimoh, and India Amarteifio, the English actress of Ghanaian and German ancestry.

The film has been acquired by Neon for global film distribution.

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