The Critics Week has just unveiled its full lineup as well as its poster for the Cannes Film Festival 2026. Join us from May 13 to 21, 2026 to discover the 65th edition of this parallel competition.
For 65 years running, the Critics’ Week has been there to support emerging filmmakers, showcasing both short and feature films from around the globe with unwavering passion. It remains deeply attentive to the unconventional paths taken by artists who revitalize storytelling and experiment with new cinematic languages. Every new generation contributes to shaping the history of cinema. Watching this evolution unfold is a captivating experience—it's a continual source of joy to be immersed in the boundless realm of imagination,” stated the team from Critics’ Week.
The general delegate of Critics' Week, Ava Cahen, revealed the 11 debut and sophomore feature films, including seven in competition and four in special screenings, selected from 1,050 films watched.
If the jury hasn't been announced yet, its task will be to screen all the selected films and to award the Grand Prix AMI Paris of the Critics' Week for Best Feature, the Jury's French Touch Prize, the Louis Roederer Foundation Revelation Prize for Best Actress, and the Leitz Ciné Discovery Prize for Best Short Film.
This new edition will highlight films that present "the world through the eyes of children, adolescents or young adults. What we found beautiful this year is that the world is in a bad way, but there is nonetheless in every film a will to resist together, with plenty of life, even in the dramas", Ava Cahen told AFP.
Last year, the Grand Prix honored the Thai film A Useful Ghost, while the jury prize went to Imago, the first Chechen film to win an award in the history of the Cannes Film Festival.
On the poster for the Critics’ Week, Manon Clavel’s character from Alexe Poukine’s Kika appears to surrender herself. Her comforting hand on her partner’s back, played by Makita Samba, highlights their close bond shared in a moment of mutual trust. This sense of confidence embodies what Critics’ Week stands for: taking a chance on a filmmaker’s fresh talent. It also reflects the voices of writers and creators sharing their debut works with us.
As has become tradition over the past several years, the unveiling of the 2026 lineup for the Critics' Week will take place in the weeks following the Cannes Film Festival at the French Cinematheque.
Dates and Opening Time
From May 13, 2026 to May 21, 2026
Official website
www.semainedelacritique.com
