Nigerians Report Online Presents The 79th Annual Cannes Film Festival

  

The 79th Cannes Film Festival is taking place in Cannes, France, from May 12 to 23, 2026. A major highlight of this year’s edition is the Jury President, South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook. The festival opened with French director Pierre Salvadori's film The Electric Kiss. 

Here is a quick glance at key details for the 2026 event:

Official Poster: Designed by Hartland Villa, featuring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis on the set of Thelma & Louise.
Opening Ceremony Host: French actress Eye Haïdara.
Main Jury: Chaired by Park Chan-wook, with prominent members including actress Demi Moore.

Opening Film: The Electric Kiss.
Honorary Palmes d'Or: Awarded to Peter Jackson, John Travolta, and Barbra Streisand. 

 

The films of the Official Selection 2026 - Festival de Cannes

IN COMPETITION

Opening film:

THE ELECTRIC KISS by Pierre SALVADORI – Out of Competition

AMARGA NAVIDAD by Pedro ALMODÓVAR

A WOMAN’S LIFE by Charline BOURGEOIS-TACQUET

LA BOLA NEGRA by Javier CALVO & Javier AMBROSSI

COWARD by Lukas DHONT

PARALLEL TALES by Asghar FARHADI

PAPER TIGER by James GRAY

DAS GETRÄUMTE ABENTEUER by Valeska GRISEBACH
(THE DREAMED ADVENTURE)

ALL OF A SUDDEN by HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke

THE UNKNOWN by Arthur HARARI

ANOTHER DAY by Jeanne HERRY

SHEEP IN THE BOX by KOREEDA Hirokazu

HOPE by NA Hong-jin

NAGI NOTES by FUKADA Koji

GENTLE MONSTER by Marie KREUTZER

A MAN OF HIS TIME by Emmanuel MARRE

FJORD by Cristian MUNGIU

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY by Léa MYSIUS

MOULIN by László NEMES

FATHERLAND by Paweł PAWLIKOWSKI

THE MAN I LOVE by Ira SACHS

EL SER QUERIDO by Rodrigo SOROGOYEN
(THE BELOVED)

MINOTAUR by Andreï ZVYAGINTSEV

UN CERTAIN REGARD

Opening film:

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA by Jane SCHOENBRUN

ELEPHANTS IN THE FOG by Abinash BIKRAM SHAH | 1st film

IRON BOY by Louis CLICHY

BEN’IMANA by Marie-Clémentine DUSABEJAMBO | 1st film

CONGO BOY by Rafiki FARIALA

CLUB KID by Jordan FIRSTMAN | 1st film

A GIRL’S STORY by Judith GODRÈCHE

UĻA by Viesturs KAIRIŠS

TITANIC OCEAN by Konstantina KOTZAMANI | 1st film

LA MÁS DULCE by Laïla MARRAKCHI
(STRAWBERRIES)

EL DESHIELO by Manuela MARTELLI
(THE MELTDOWN)

SIEMPRE SOY TU ANIMAL MATERNO by Valentina MAUREL
(FOREVER YOUR MATERNAL ANIMAL)

YESTERDAY THE EYE DIDN’T SLEEP by Rakan MAYASI | 1st film

I’LL BE GONE IN JUNE by Katharina RIVILIS | 1st film

WORDS OF LOVE by Rudi ROSENBERG

EVERYTIME by Sandra WOLLNER

VICTORIAN PSYCHO by Zachary WIGON

ALL THE LOVERS IN THE NIGHT by SODE Yukiko

ULYSSE by Laetitia MASSON
Closing film of Un Certain Regard

OUT OF COMPETITION

LA BATAILLE DE GAULLE : L’ÂGE DE FER by Antonin BAUDRY

KARMA by Guillaume CANET

DIAMOND by Andy GARCIA

FORSAKEN by Vincent GARENQ

CRESCENDO by Agnès JAOUI

HER PRIVATE HELL by Nicolas WINDING REFN

MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS

FULL PHIL by Quentin DUPIEUX

SPECIES by Marion LE CORROLLER | 1st film

ROMA ELASTICA by Bertrand MANDICO

JIM QUEEN by Marco NGUYEN & Nicolas ATHANÉ | 1st film

GUN-CHE by YEON Sang-ho
(COLONY)

CANNES PREMIERE

LA TROISIÈME NUIT by Daniel AUTEUIL

THE MATCH by Juan CABRAL & Santiago FRANCO

MARIE MADELEINE by Géssica GÉNÉUS

AQUÍ by Tiago GUEDES

ORANGE-FLAVOURED WEDDING by Christophe HONORÉ

KOKUROJO by KUROSAWA Kiyoshi
(THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER)

THE END OF IT by Maria MARTÍNEZ BAYONA | 1st film

THINK GOOD by Géraldine NAKACHE

HEIMSUCHUNG by Volker SCHLÖNDORFF
(VISITATION)

PROPELLER ONE-WAY NIGHT COACH by John TRAVOLTA | 1st film

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

REHEARSALS FOR A REVOLUTION by Pegah AHANGARANI | 1st film

LES MATINS MERVEILLEUX by Avril BESSON | 1st film

L’AFFAIRE MARIE-CLAIRE by Lauriane ESCAFFRE & Yvo MULLER

AVEDON by Ron HOWARD

VESNA by Rostislav KIRPIČENKO | 1st film

ASHES by Diego LUNA

TANGLES by Leah NELSON | 1st film

LES SURVIVANTS DU CHE by Christophe Dimitri RÉVEILLE | 1st film

LE TRIANGLE D’OR by Hélène ROSSELET-RUIZ | 1st film

JOHN LENNON : THE LAST INTERVIEW by Steven SODERBERGH

GROUNDSWELL by Josh TICKELL & Rebecca TICKELL

CANTONA by David TRYHORN & Ben NICHOLAS

FAMILY SCREENING

LUCY LOST by Olivier CLERT | 1st film

CLARISSA, From The Esiri Twin - Brothers of Nigeria

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.

Premiere Date: May 16, 2026

Details on 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarissa_(2026_film)#:~:text=Neon-,Release,-date 

Complete List of Winners at the 78th Festival de Cannes

Official trailer of "UN SIMPLE ACCIDENT".

 

The 78th annual Cannes Film Festival held from May 13-24, 2025 in France opened with Leave One Day (French: Partir un jour), a 2025 French musical comedy drama film directed by Amélie Bonnin in her feature directorial debut. It was based on her 2021 short film Bye Bye, which won the César Award for Best Fiction Short Film at the 48th ceremony. It stars Juliette Armanet, Bastien Bouillon, François Rollin, Tewfik Jallab, Dominique Blanc, Mhamed Arezki, Pierre-Antoine Billon, and Amandine Dewasmes.

During the festival, two Honorary Palme d'Or were awarded: the first was awarded to Robert De Niro during the festival's opening ceremony and the second was awarded on short notice to Denzel Washington before the world premiere of Highest 2 Lowest.

Complete List of Winners at the 78th Festival de Cannes 

Jafar PANAHI won the highly coveted Palme d'Or for his film "UN SIMPLE ACCIDENT".

Jury

 Documentarist and producer Dieudo Hamadi, Korean director and screenwriter Hong Sangsoo, Mexican director, screenwriter and producer Carlos Reygadas and American actor Jeremy Strong, presented its winners’ list among the 22 films presented in Competition this year.

Feature Films

Palme d’or
UN SIMPLE ACCIDENT
Jafar PANAHI

Grand Prix
AFFEKSJONSVERDI
(SENTIMENTAL VALUE)
Joachim TRIER

Joint Jury Prize
SIRÂT
Oliver LAXE

SOUND OF FALLING
Mascha SCHILINSKI

Best Director
Kleber MENDONÇA FILHO for O AGENTE SECRETO (THE SECRET AGENT)

Best Screenplay
Jean-Pierre DARDENNE & Luc DARDENNE for JEUNES MÈRES

Best performance by an actress
Nadia MELLITI in LA PETITE DERNIÈRE directed by Hafsia HERZI

Best performance by an actor
Wagner MOURA in O AGENTE SECRETO (THE SECRET AGENT) directed by Kleber MENDONÇA FILHO

Special Award
KUANG YE SHI DAI (RESURRECTION)

Bi GAN

Short Films

Palme d’or
I’M GLAD YOU’RE DEAD NOW
Tawfeek BARHOM

Special Mention
ALI
Adnan AL RAJEEV

Un Certain Regard
 
Un Certain Regard Prize
LA MISTERIOSA MIRADA DEL FLAMENCO (THE MYSTERIOUS GAZE OF THE FLAMINGO)
Diego CÉSPEDES
1st film

Jury Prize
UN POETA (A POET)
Simón MESA SOTO

Best Directing
Arab & Tarzan NASSER
for Once Upon a Time in Gaza

Best Actor
Frank DILLANE
in Urchin directed by Harris Dickinson

Best Actress
Cleo DIÁRA
in O Riso e a Faca (I Only Rest in the Storm) directed by Pedro Pinho

Best Screenplay
PILLION
Harry LIGHTON
1st film

Caméra d’or
Caméra d’or Prize
THE PRESIDENT’S CAKE
Hasan HADI
Directors’ Fortnight

Special Mention
MY FATHER’S SHADOW
Akinola DAVIES JR
Un Certain Regard

La Cinef
First Prize
FIRST SUMMER
Heo GAYOUNG
KAFA, South Korea

Second Prize
12 MOMENTS BEFORE THE FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY
QU Zhizheng
Beijing Film Academy, China

Joint Third Prize
GINGER BOY
Miki TANAKA
ENBU Seminar, Japan

WINTER IN MARCH
Natalia MIRZOYAN
Estonian Academy of Arts, Estonia

Superior Technical Commission
 
THE CST AWARD FOR BEST ARTIST-TECHNICIAN is presented to Ruben Impens, director of photography, and Stéphane Thiébaut, mixer of ALPHA, directed by Julia Ducournau

The 2025 jury of the CST Award for best Artist-Technician acknowledges the powerful creativity of sound and image in this film, achieved by Ruben Impens, director of photography and Stéphane Thiébaut, mixer, of Alpha directed by Julia Ducournau.

THE CST AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG FEMALE FILM TECHNICIAN is presented to Éponine Momenceau, Director of photography of
CONNEMARA, directed by Alex Lutz

The 2025 jury of the CST Award for best Young, Female Film Technician is proud to present this year’s prize to Éponine Momenceau, director of photography of Connemara directed by Alex Lutz, for the delicacy and subtlety of the work on the images that accompany the film’s story and direction

Source

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/the-78th-festival-de-cannes-winners-list/

2024 Cannes Film Festival: Winner of the Palme d'Or the Other Winners

 

2024 Cannes Film Festival: Winner of the Palme d'Or the Other Winners

77th EDITION

May 14-25, 2024

Palme d’Or

ANORA

Directed by : Sean BAKER

Year of production: 2024

Country: United States

Duration: 138

"Anora, a young sex worker from

Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled."

https://www.festival-cannes.com/f/anora/#

Grand Prix

ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT

Payal Kapadia

Jury Prize

EMILIA PÉREZ

Jacques Audiard

Best Director

MIGUEL GOMES

for Grand Tour

Special Award

MOHAMMAD RASOULOF

for The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Exiled Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof was given a Special Prize for The Seed of the Sacred Fig. 

Best Performance by an Actor

JESSE PLEMONS

in Kinds of Kindness directed by Yórgos Lánthimos

Best Performance by an Actress

ADRIANA PAZ

in Emilia Pérez directed by Jacques Audiard

ZOE SALDAÑA

in Emilia Pérez directed by Jacques Audiard

KARLA SOFÍA GASCÓN

in Emilia Pérez directed by Jacques Audiard

SELENA GOMEZ

in Emilia Pérez directed by Jacques Audiard

Best Screenplay

THE SUBSTANCE

Coralie Fargeat

Short Films

Palme d’or

THE MAN WHO COULD NOT REMAIN SILENT

Nebojša Slijepčević

Special Mention

BAD FOR A MOMENT

Daniel Soares

Un Certain Regard

Un Certain Regard Prize

BLACK DOG

by Guan Hu

Jury Prize

L’HISTOIRE DE SOULEYMANE

by Boris Lojkine

Best Director Prize ex-aequo

ROBERTO MINERVINI

for The Damned

RUNGANO NYONI

for On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

Best Performance by an Actress

ANASUYA SENGUPTA

in The Shameless

Best Performance by an Actor

ABOU SANGARÉ

in L’Histoire de Souleymane

Youth Award

HOLY COW

by Louise Courvoisier

1st film

Special Mention

NORAH

by Tawfik Alzaidi

1st film

Caméra d’or

ARMAND

Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel

Un Certain Regard

Special Mention

MONGREL

Wei Liang Chiang & You Qiao Yin

La Cinef

First Prize

SUNFLOWERS WERE THE FIRST ONES TO KNOW…

Chidananda S Naik

Joint Second Prize

OUT THE WINDOW THROUGH THE WALL

Asya Segalovich

THE CHAOS SHE LEFT BEHIND

Nikos Kolioukos

Third Prize

BUNNYHOOD

Mansi Maheshwari

Meet the 77th Festival winners - Festival de Cannes

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2024/a-la-rencontre-des-laureats-du-77e-festival/

See the films of the Official Selection 2024 - Festival de Cannes

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/the-films-of-the-official-selection-2024/

The 76th Annual Cannes Film Festival: Complete List of Winners

 

The 76th Annual Cannes Film Festival: Complete List of Winners

Official poster of the 76th Cannes Film Festival featuring actress Catherine Deneuve during a shooting of La Chamade (1968)

Opening film

Jeanne du Barry

Closing film

Elemental

The 76th annual Cannes Film Festival held from 16 to 27 May 2023.

The closing ceremony of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival took place on May 27 at 20.30 CEST (19.30 BST) at the Grand Theatre Lumiere.

Justine Triet became the third woman to win the Palme d'OR, after Jane Campion in 1993, and Julia Ducournau in 2021.

Her French courtroom drama tells the story of a writer accused of her husband's murder.

PALME D’OR

ANATOMIE D’UNE CHUTE (ANATOMY OF A FALL) directed by Justine TRIET

GRAND PRIX

THE ZONE OF INTEREST directed by Jonathan GLAZER

BEST DIRECTOR

TRAN ANH Hùng for LA PASSION DE DODIN BOUFFANT (THE POT-AU-FEU)

JURY PRIZE

KUOLLEET LEHDET (FALLEN LEAVES) directed by Aki KAURISMÄKI

BEST SCREENPLAY

SAKAMOTO Yuji for KAIBUTSU (MONSTER) directed by KORE-EDA Hirokazu

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS

Merve DIZDAR for KURU OTLAR USTUNE (ABOUT DRY GRASSES) directed by Nuri Bilge CEYLAN

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR

Koji YAKUSHO for PERFECT DAYS directed by Wim WENDERS

SHORT FILMS

2023 winners' list

PALME D’OR

27 for Flóra Anna BUDA

SPECIAL MENTION

FÁR (INTRUSION) directed by Gunnur MARTINSDÓTTIR SCHLÜTER

UN CERTAIN REGARD

2023 winners' list

UN CERTAIN REGARD PRIZE

HOW TO HAVE SEX directed by Molly MANNING WALKER

JURY PRIZE

LES MEUTES (HOUNDS) directed by Kamal LAZRAQ

BEST DIRECTOR PRIZE

Asmae EL MOUDIR for KADIB ABYAD (THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES)

NEW VOICE PRIZE

AUGURE (OMEN) directed by BALOJI

ENSEMBLE PRIZE

CROWRÃ (THE BURITI FLOWER) directed by João SALAVIZA & Renée NADER MESSORA

FREEDOM PRIZE

GOODBYE JULIA directed by Mohamed KORDOFANI

LA CINEF

2023 winners' list

FIRST PRIZE

NORWEGIAN OFFSPRING directed by Marlene Emilie LYNGSTAD

Den Danske Filmskole, Denmark

SECOND PRIZE

HOLE directed by HWANG Hyein

Korean Academy of Film Arts, South Korea

THIRD PRIZE

AYYUR (MOON) directed by Zineb WAKRIM

ÉSAV Marrakech, Morocco

CAMÉRA D'OR

2023 winners' list

BÊN TRONG VO KEN VANG (INSIDE THE YELLOW COCOON SHELL) de THIEN AN PHAM

Directors’ Fortnight

L’ŒIL D'OR - YEAR OF THE DOCUMENTARY (EX ÆQUO)

2023 winners' list

LES FILLES D’OLFA directed by Kaouther BEN HANIA

KADIB ABYAD (THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES) directed by Asmae EL MOUDIR

THE HIGHER TECHNICAL COMMISSION FOR SOUND AND IMAGES

2023 winners' list

The CST jury has awarded the CST ARTIST-TECHNICIAN AWARD 2023 to Johnnie Burn from the film THE ZONE OF INTEREST by Jonathan Glazer and the CST Young Film Technician Award to Anne-Sophie Delseries, head set designer for the film LE THÉORÈME DE MARGUERITE (MARGUERITE’S THEOREME) by Anna Novion.

Thanks to the delicacy of her work, Anne-Sophie Delseries succeeded in giving birth to a third character who is an essential part of the film’s narrative.

Honorary Palme d’Or

Michael Douglas

Harrison Ford 

The Head of the Jury 

Ruben Östlund

Source

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/the-76th-festival-de-cannes-winners-list

From Mati Diop To Alice Diop: Two French Senagalese Female Filmmakers Who Have Made History

From Mati Diop To Alice Diop: Two French Senagalese Female Filmmakers Who Have Made History in Cannes and Venice

First it was Mati Diop, the French-Senegalese filmmaker whose first feature film "Atlantics" made her the first black female director to be in the Official Selection in competition for the Palme d'Or and won the Grand Prix equivalent of the silver prize at the 2019 annual Cannes Film Festival, making her the first black female director to win an award in Cannes' 72-year history. And another French Senegalese filmmaker, Alice Diop with the same surname has just made history as first black female filmmaker to win the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, for her first feature, "Saint Omer" and also the Lion of the Future LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS Venice Award for a debut film at the 79th annual Venice International Film Festival in 2022.

Mati Diop was born in Paris on June 22 in 1982 and Alice Diop was born in Aulnay-sous-Bois, France in 1979.

-  By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Publisher/Editor, NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series.

The following is from an interview with Alice Diop on the making of "Saint Omer".

What led you to develop it as a narrative feature?

A documentary was never the plan. At the time, I was too busy with research, plus we couldn’t shoot in the courtroom and I would never [make the real participants] reenact the proceedings. Anyway, I wanted to recreate my experience of listening to another woman’s story while interrogating myself, facing my own difficult truths. The narrative had to trace a series of emotional states that can lead to catharsis. It’s like accelerated psychotherapy.  

https://variety.com/2022/film/festivals/venice-alice-diop-saint-omer-1235367521/

Confraternity of Christian Mothers Festac Celebrates with Mrs Muo

Confraternity of Christian Mothers Festac Celebrates  with Mrs. Muo

Obeying the Biblical admonition to Christians to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn, members of the  Confraternity of  Christian Mothers, CCM from the Catholic Church of Visitation, Festac Town, Lagos on June 25, 2022, trooped out in their numbers to rejoice and felicitate with one of their own, Mrs Ann Muo at the wedding of her daughter, Augusta Ifeoma Muo.

The holy matrimony took place at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos.

The gaily dressed and vivacious CCM mothers proved to be their sister's keeper as they gave amble moral support to one of their own ensuring that the wedding was one of  the best organised social events in the recent time.

The bride's mother herself brought colour and distinction to bear on her daughter day of glory as her company, Spanset cakes & events ensured that everybody went home with a pack of cakes( different Flavours).

Founded in France over 150 years ago, the Confraternity of Christian Mothers was founded by lay women to discuss their struggles in raising their children and to pray for each other in a culture that had become increasingly opposed to Catholic values. 

CCM members who graced the wedding include Mother Esther Okereke, president Emeritus, Mother Vivian Obi, Ex Vice President,  

Mother Modesta Iguh president, Mother Adaku Agughasi, Vice President, Mother Ann Okorafor Treasurer.

Others include, Mother  Chioma Ekeh Provost, Mother Uche Emetarom, Financial Secretary 2, Mother Chinyere Chinedu, Provost 2, Mother Adaku, Ezeugo welfare.

Also in attendance were Mother Chinyere Aniaku member, Mother Uwandu Mabel, member, Mother Bibian Okeke, member, Mother Maryqueen Obelle, member, Mother Adaku Uzoukwu member, Mother Ifeoma Chukwueze, member, Mother Virginia Ogbatue member, Mother Rose Uchendu exco and Mother Onyeneke exco. Other notable guests @ the event include Chief Ingram Osigwe(EnyiOha) Chief Kevin Onyebara, Dr Obinna Okpara, Madam Blessed and Princess Ifeoma Agu. 

Indeed, Saturday, June 25th, 2022 will be a historic day for the families of Fidelis(Adizue) and Mrs Ann Muo and Chief John (Snr) and Mrs Fumilayo Adollo as their children, Augusta Ifeoma and John Jemin Jnr consummated their love at the Cathedral of Christ, Marina, Lagos.

The groom, an indigene ofJakpa, Warri North local government area, Delta State,  is a US-based Engineer while the bride who hails from Nnokwa, Idemili south of Anambra state, owns one of the latest boutiques in LEKKI phase 1, Lagos.

The rites of joining Ifeoma and John as husband and wife had begun a week earlier with a lavish but multi-cultural traditional wedding that witnessed a rich and enchanting blend of Igbo, Itsekiri and Yoruba cultures.

This was expected as the groom is Itsekiri with a Yoruba mother while the bride is Igbo from Anambra state.

The traditional wedding had in attendance Captains of Industry, politicians, professionals etc.

The galaxy of guests from virtually all parts of Nigeria gave the traditional wedding the colour of a pan-Nigerian event.

All Nigerian dishes which were served further added glamour to the wedding.

The colourful Itsekiri dance troupe ushered the groom amidst cheers.

The groom's mother, a Yoruba, added rich Yoruba panache to the event with breath-taking Yoruba eulogy and dance steps. 

Guests at the traditional wedding included a former Senator representing Lagos East senatorial district and current MD/CEO of the  Federal Housing Authority, Sen.Gbenga Ashafa among other notables.

The classy traditional wedding foretold the quintessentially glamourous church wedding that took place on June 25.

The reception which was held at The Bell Campbell Event Centre, Campbell Street, Lagos, witnessed pomp, pageantry and colour.

It attracted the high and mighty in the society with exotic dishes and wines made available to all guests.

***

Story by Chief Ingram Osigwe.