(From L) Romanian director, screenwriter and producer Cristian Mungiu (R) and Romanian-U.S. actor Sebastian Stan (C) embrace after profitable the Palme d’Or for the movie “Fjord” throughout the closing ceremony of the 79th version of the Cannes Movie Competition in Cannes, southern France, on Could 23, 2026.
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Cristian Mungiu’s Norway-set drama about political polarization “Fjord” has gained the Palme d’Or, handing the Cannes Movie Competition’s prime honor for the second time to Mungiu, the Romanian director of “4 Months, 3 Weeks and a couple of Days.”
At a 79th Cannes Movie Competition that noticed few movies breakout, “Fjord” discovered large admiration for its engrossing story of what Mungiu referred to as “left-wing fundamentalism.” It stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as Romanian Evangelicals who transfer to Norway, however quickly after have their youngsters taken from them by little one providers for spanking them.
Mungiu turns into simply the tenth filmmaker to win the Palme d’Or twice. His “4 Months, 3 Weeks and a couple of Days,” a Romanian abortion drama, gained the award in 2007.
The win for “Fjord” extends one of many motion pictures’ most extraordinary streaks. Neon, the specialty label, has now taken seven Palme d’Or winners in a row. “Fjord” provides to its unparalleled run, together with final 12 months’s champion, Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Simply an Accident,” and the 2024 winner, “Anora.” The latter went on to win greatest image on the Oscars.
The Grand Prix, or second prize, went to “Minotaur,” Andrey Zvyagintsev’s home thriller set towards Russia’s struggle with Ukraine. Loosely based mostly on Claude Chabrol’s 1969 movie “The Untrue Spouse,” “Minotaur” is a few Russian businessman suspicious of his spouse’s indiscretions. On the identical time, he is tasked with conscripting 150 of his staff for Vladimir Putin’s struggle machine.
By large consensus, it wasn’t a banner competition. Hollywood largely sat out this 12 months’s version. Lots of the alternatives struggled to bowl over critics. The worldwide buzz that Cannes usually generates was fitful at greatest.
However the awards handed out Saturday because the 79th Cannes drew to a detailed will considerably elevate the worldwide profiles fo the winners. Final 12 months’s Cannes produced a protracted string of Oscar nominees, together with “Sentimental Worth” and “The Secret Agent.”
Russian director and screenwriter Andrey Zvyagintsev (R) celebrates on stage subsequent to U.S. actress Zoe Saldana after profitable the Grand Prix Award for the movie “Minotaure” (Minotaur) throughout the closing ceremony of the 79th version of the Cannes Movie Competition in Cannes, southern France, on Could 23, 2026.
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The nine-member jury that determined the awards was headed by Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook. Demi Moore, Chloé Zhao and Stellan Skarsgård have been additionally jurors.
Two movies gained for greatest director: the Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski, for his postwar drama “Fatherland”; and the Spanish artistic duo Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo for “The Black Ball,” a generation-spanning queer epic “The Black Ball.”
Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, the 2 stars of Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden” shared the very best actress award. Within the elegantly empathetic drama, the 2 play girls introduced collectively in friendship out of their mutual sense of take care of others.
The jury additionally break up the very best actor prize. They selected Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne, the 2 stars of “Coward,” Lukas Dhont’s drama about younger Belgian males despatched to the frontlines of World Conflict II.
The prize for greatest screenplay was awarded to Emmanuel Marre for “A Man of His Time,” a French drama a few Nazi collaborator in Vichy France. Marre based mostly it on the experiences of his personal great-grandfather.
The jury prize, or third place, went to German filmmaker Valeska Grisebach’s “The Dreamed Journey,” against the law drama set in a Bulgarian border city.
Isabelle Huppert accepts the Honorary Palme d’Or on behalf of Barbra Streisand from host Eye Haïdara on stage throughout the closing ceremony of the 79th annual Cannes Movie Competition at Palais des Festivals on Could 23, 2026 in Cannes, France.
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Saturday’s ceremony was lacking its tribute honoree. Barbra Streisand was to obtain an honorary Palme d’Or, however a knee harm prevented her from attending. Isabelle Huppert nonetheless celebrated Streisand throughout the ceremony, and Streisand appeared in a taped video message.
The Digicam d’Or, Cannes’ award for greatest first movie, went to Marie Clémentine Dusabejambo’ post-genocide drama “Ben’Imana,” the primary Rwandan movie to be formally chosen for the competition.
