Tall ready, or almost, for the 2026 edition of the Cannes Film Festival (12-23 May). This year the most glamorous film event in the world focuses on European films and arthouse cinema. In fact, there are few American titles and Hollywood stars expected. However, someone is found between one section and another of the festival. John Travolta, for example, will present his first filmwhile Scarlett Johansson is in James Gray’s new film.
In the 79th edition of the event, however, Italy is completely missing. It hasn’t happened for ten years that not even one Italian director was selected in the competition. To sift through the program they only appear Monica Bellucci, in the cast of the French film Histories of the nightthe writer Erri De Luca, in a small role in A Woman’s Life, And Asia Argento, protagonist of the thriller Death Has No Master.
Cannes Film Festival 2026: all the stars and the most anticipated films
Among the titles announced in competition stand out The Man I Love by Ira Sachs with Rami Malek and Rebecca Hall, The Beloved by Rodrigo Sorogoyen with Javier Bardem And Parallel Tales by Iranian Asghar Farhadi with Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Cassel and Catherine Deneuve. James Gray brings the gangster movie to the Croisette Paper Tiger, starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johanssonwhile the couple Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander stars in HopeKorean horror by Na Hong-jin.
After his first English-language film, The next room, Pedro Almodóvar returns to Spain with Amarga Navidad to tell a story of grieving. Another Spanish film in competition (there are three Iberian titles in competition, a record) is The black bola by Ambrossi-Calvo, with Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close.
“Amarga Navidad” by Pedro Almodóvar. (Courtesy Cannes Film Festival 2026)
Out of competition they are expected Her Private Hell by Nicolas Winding Refn, Diamond by Andy Garcia, with Garcia himself, Brendan Fraser and Dustin Hoffman And Propeller One-Way Night Coachthe debut work of the star de Saturday night fever John Travolta. Also worth marking in your calendar the documentaries on John Lennon and Richard Avedon, directed respectively by Steven Soderbergh and Ron Howard. Woody Harrelson and Kristen Stewart will host Full Phil by Quentin Dupieux, in the night section.
Italians at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival: from Monica Bellucci to Asia Argento
Even if there are no Italian films in competition (and it hasn’t happened for ten years), our flag, albeit timidly, is flying. Monica Bellucci is in the cast of the French film in competition The Birthday Partythe writer Erri De Luca plays a small role in A Woman’s Life by Charline Bourgeois-Taquet, while Asia Argento is the protagonist of the thriller Death Has No Master by Jorge Thielen Armand.
Asia Argento is the protagonist of the thriller Death Has No Master by Jorge Thielen Armand.
Again, in Elastic Rome by Bertrand Mandico, shot in Cinecittà and conceived as a tribute to some masters of our cinema, there is a large audience of performers: from Isabella Ferrari to Ornella Muti, from Franco Nero to Michele Braviin his first acting test.
Director Laura Samani was chosen as a member of the jury of Un Certain Regard. Also noteworthy is the presence of Margherita Spampinato, fresh winner of the David di Donatello with her debut film My joy. In Cannes she will receive the Emerging Talent Award during the official Women In Motion Awards ceremony, organized by Kering. Andrea De Sica, together with director Francesco Zippel, will premiere, in the Cannes Classics section, the documentary Vittorio De Sica – Life on stage.
Woody Harrelson and Kristen Stewart will present “Full Phil”. (Courtesy Cannes Film Festival 2026)
Jury, masterclasses and the Palme d’Or for lifetime achievement to Barbra Streisand
The jury of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, which will have the task of awarding the coveted Palme d’Or, is chaired by South Korean director, screenwriter and producer Park Chan-wook. Joining him will be the American actress and producer Demi Moorethe Irish-Ethiopian actress and producer Ruth Negga, the Belgian director and screenwriter Laura Wandel, the Chinese director and screenwriter Chloé Zhao, the Chilean film-maker Diego Céspedes, the Ivorian-American actor Isaach De Bankolé, the Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty and the Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård.
The event will close on May 23rd with the awarding of the Palme d’Or for lifetime achievement to New York singer and actress Barbra Streisand. Peter Jackson will also receive the award. The New Zealand director de The Lord of the Rings will hold a masterclass on May 13th. Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton will also meet the festival audience.
