Taking place from May 12th to 23rd, the seaside city of Cannes in southern France is becoming the "film capital" of the world as all the attention of filmmakers, media, and fans worldwide is focused on it.
This year's Cannes Film Festival continues to prioritize films with strong personal touches, distinct authorial styles, and brings together leading filmmakers from Asia, Europe, and Hollywood. The films competing for the Palme d'Or attract a host of big names in world cinema, including Pedro Almodovar, Asghar Farhadi, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Cristian Mungiu , and Andrey Zvyagintsev . The entries range from psychological dramas, war films, and science fiction to works with strong political and philosophical undertones.
Notably, Hollywood's presence at Cannes this year is not as dominant as in previous years. Only two films made the list: James Grey's Paper Tiger , starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, and Ira Sachs' The Man I Love, starring Rami Malek, Rebecca Hall, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Neither is considered a top contender for the 2026 Palme d'Or, according to experts.
Meanwhile, Cannes 2026 witnessed a strong comeback of Asian cinema, with the participation of many renowned directors such as Na Hong-jin (South Korea) and Hamaguchi Ryusuke (Japan). Na Hong-jin's film " Hope " is currently highly regarded and a strong contender for the Palme d'Or. Japanese cinema also made a significant mark at this year's Cannes Film Festival with its first film made in French , "All of a Sudden ."
Among the prominent contenders, Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's Bitter Christmas is also receiving special attention. And Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's Parallel Tales – a two-time Oscar winner for "Best International Film" – is also highly regarded.
This year, Vietnamese cinema at Cannes attracted attention with the participation of the short film "A Dream Is a Snail" (directed by Nguyen Thien An) in the Short Film category. With approximately 3,184 short films submitted but only 10 selected for the main competition, this demonstrates the efforts of Vietnamese cinema to reach the world stage with unique stories reflecting its own cultural nuances and materials .
No longer confrontational or evasive, filmmakers worldwide are gradually accepting the reality of artificial intelligence (AI)'s role in the film industry at the Cannes Film Festival 2026.
The most talked-about topic this year is AI. While previously filmmakers often celebrated traditional cinematic values, they are now shifting their mindset towards innovation. The debate is no longer about whether or not to use AI, but rather about how to use it effectively. AI has truly entered the global film industry and is being embraced with a new, innovative approach. "The atmosphere at Cannes, and in global cinema in general, is showing a pivotal shift," said Scott Mann, co-CEO of Flawless, a company specializing in AI tools for post-production.
For example, the technology giant Meta recently announced a multi-year sponsorship agreement with the Cannes International Film Festival. This is a new step for the AI giant investing in the heart of the global film industry. This move has attracted worldwide attention because Meta is currently one of the strongest investors in AI and has now ventured into the film industry.
In the overall picture, from the prominence of Asian cinema with many distinctive and creative works to the "AI on the red carpet" mark, festival artistic director Thierry Frémaux assessed that Cannes 2026 continues to maintain its role as a destination for world cinema, notably with this year's entries showcasing the vitality of independent cinema from across the continents.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/nghe-thuat/ai-do-bo-lien-hoan-phim-cannes-2026-230461.html
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