When I walked into the Salle de Conférence de Presse for the Displaced Filmmakers Fund (DFF), admittedly a bit late after a screening, one thing instantly came to mind: Rithy Panh, Annemarie Jacir, Mohammed Amer, Akuol de Mabior, and Bao Nguyen are incredibly talented directors of the highest calibre. However, I wondered whether the fund could also be used to amplify voices that would otherwise have no way of being heard. I will circle back to this point.

Kristen Stewart has voiced strong criticism of Hollywood’s studio system and corporate structure, describing it as increasingly restrictive for filmmakers and artistes. While promoting her new film “Full Phil” at the Cannes Film Festival, the 36-year-old actress spoke openly about her frustrations with how the American film industry finances, produces, and distributes films.

Cate Blanchett has spoken candidly about her belief that Hollywood’s #MeToo movement “was shut down very quickly,” saying that many of the issues it sought to address still persist on film sets across the United States.

Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi condemned Friday both the killing of civilians in US and Israeli attacks on his country and the "massacring" of protesters by the Islamic republic. 

Hollywood star John Travolta was given a surprise lifetime achievement award at the Cannes Film Festival Friday as he premiered the first movie he has ever directed.

However, I decided instead to walk down the street from the Palais, with a gimbal in one hand and a coffee in the other, straight to Eden Hôtel, where the French Riviera Film Festival is taking place. Here, “Gali Kothon: A tale of swear words”, a short film by Mahamuda Aktar Monisha, is vying for the top documentary prize.

“Parallel Tales” is adapted from a chapter of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s celebrated Polish television series “Dekalog” (1989–1990), written by Farhadi alongside his brother Saeed.

These four directors aren’t here to walk the carpet; they are here to fight for the survival of their stories.

Cannes Day 2 unfolded in a blur of flashbulbs and high glamour as celebrities arrived in sculpted couture, crystal-studded gowns, sweeping trains, and dramatic statement accessories.

"The person who was not going to let me come alone here, to represent that brotherhood, was Meadow Rain," Diesel said inside the full-capacity main cinema in Cannes.

Peter Jackson has confirmed that he will direct the long-awaited sequel to “The Adventures of Tintin”, marking his return to directing a narrative feature film for the first time since 2014.

As Cannes 2026 opened on the French Riviera, the festival’s red carpet reflected this year’s renewed focus on auteur-driven cinema and international storytelling, with actors, filmmakers, and global guests gathering beneath the flash of cameras and the spectacle of the Croisette.

Cannes will host an intense lineup of screenings, premieres, and red-carpet moments that bring together some of the biggest names in international filmmaking.

Among the most high-profile entries is Romanian director Cristian Mungiu’s English-language debut “Fjord”, starring Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan.

Set in Paris during the Roaring Twenties, the film draws on the traditions of classic Hollywood comedy, blending rapid pacing with mistaken identities and sharply constructed narrative turns. The festival described Salvadori as an admirer of filmmakers such as Ernst Lubitsch, Billy Wilder and Blake Edwards.