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The curtains have come down on one of the world’s most closely watched film gatherings, with the 2026 Cannes Film Festival wrapping up on the French Riviera after nearly two weeks of screenings, premieres and red-carpet appearances that drew global attention. The closing night brought a packed awards ceremony at the Palais des Festivals, where the jury revealed winners across categories spanning feature films, shorts and immersive storytelling.
While the festival is often remembered for its glamour, this year’s edition was equally defined by strong international competition and a jury led by acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook. The panel brought together a diverse mix of filmmakers and performers, including Chloe Zhao, Demi Moore,
Ruth Negga, Stellan Skarsgård, along with screenwriter Paul Laverty, among others, who collectively shaped this year’s decisions.
The ceremony itself was hosted by French actor Eye Haidara, with special moments reserved for industry veterans. A notable highlight was the Honorary Palme d’Or presented to legendary performer Barbra Streisand, who could not attend in person but sent a video message expressing gratitude to presenter Isabelle Huppert and the festival organisers.
As expected, major awards were spread across a wide international slate of films. The Grand Prix, considered the festival’s second most prestigious honour after the Palme d’Or, went to Minotaur by Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev, recognised for its artistic strength and storytelling depth.
The top honour, the Palme d’Or, was awarded to Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord, while other major acting honours saw Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne share Best Actor for Coward. The Best Actress award went to Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto for All of a Sudden, reflecting a shared recognition in a competitive field.
The jury prize was awarded to The Dreamed Adventure by Valeska Grisebach, while Best Director honours were shared between Javier Calva and Javier Ambrossi for The Black Ball, and Pawel Pawlikowski for Fatherland. Screenwriting recognition went to Emmanuel Marre for A Man of His Time.
In other key sections, Elephants in the Fog by Abinash Bikram Shah stood out in the Un Certain Regard segment, earning the Jury Prize, marking a significant moment for Nepali cinema on the global stage.
The festival also recognised emerging talent through its Camera d’Or, short film selections and Critics’ Week awards, with winners spanning filmmakers from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Separate juries across sections such as Directors’ Fortnight, Immersive Competition and Cinéfondation highlighted the festival’s broad creative spectrum, from experimental storytelling to student filmmaking.
Special honours were also distributed across categories including documentary, queer cinema and film criticism awards, underlining the festival’s continued emphasis on diverse voices and independent storytelling.
Indian representation was also visible on the red carpet this year, with actors including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Aditi Rao Hydari and Huma Qureshi making appearances at the festival.
