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| Still image from Fjord, directed by Cristian Mungiu, featuring a family living in a remote coastal village in Northern Europe |
Cannes Film Festival 2026 Winners: Fjord by Cristian Mungiu Wins Palme d'Or – Full List of Award-Winning Films and Major Prizes.
ROME - The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival brings together a powerful selection of award-winning films shaping contemporary cinema. From the Palme d'Or to the acting prizes, this year's winners reflect a diverse and striking global vision. Stories of conflict, humanity and transformation dominate the official selection and major categories. Here is the complete overview of all the main award winners from Cannes 2026. Read on to discover the films, directors and performances that defined this year's festival.
A process of continuous renewal
The list of films awarded at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, 79th Edition, 12–23 May 2026. Drawing on the strength of its 78 previous editions, the international Cannes Film Festival is one of the most widely publicised events in the world and certainly the most important film festival in terms of global impact. Through the works, artists and themes it brings to the world stage over the course of its 12-day programme, the event is constantly engaged in a process of continuous renewal.
Palme d'Or 2026. FJORD, directed by Cristian Mungiu.
The Gheorghius, a deeply religious Romanian-Norwegian couple, move to a remote village overlooking a fjord in Northern Europe. The family soon forms a close bond with their neighbours, the Halbergs, while their respective children grow up together despite the profound educational and cultural differences separating the two families. However, the balance of the community is shaken when young Elia Gheorghiu arrives at school with bruises on her body. Suspicion that the strict educational methods imposed by her parents may be the cause of the incident gradually begins to spread among the villagers, raising questions about the boundary between faith, tradition and domestic violence. Directed by Cristian Mungiu, the film is a co-production between Romania, France, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Produced in 2026, it has a running time of 146 minutes. Direction, Cristian Mungiu; screenplay, Cristian Mungiu; cinematography, Tudor Vladimir Panduru; production design, Simona Paduretu; music, Kaspar Kaae; editing, Mircea Olteanu; sound: Constantin Fleancu, Pietu Korhonen, Kristian Andersen. Cast: Sebastian Stan — Mihai, Renate Reinsve — Lisbet, Lisa Carlehed — Mia, Ellen Dorrit Petersen — Gunda, Lisa Loven Kongsli — Frida, Henrikke Lund-Olsen — Noora, Vanessa Ceban — Elia.
Grand Prix 2026. MINOTAURE, directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev.
Russia, 2022. Gleb, a successful corporate executive, finds himself crushed by increasingly suffocating professional pressures and by a world that seems to be descending into chaos. As the certainties of his existence slowly begin to crumble, the collapse of his carefully constructed life takes on an ever more violent and uncontrollable course. With MINOTAURE, Andrei Zvyagintsev once again explores the moral and psychological fragilities of contemporary man, portraying the collapse of an individual incapable of resisting the tensions of a disintegrating society. Directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev, the film is a co-production between France, Latvia and Germany. Produced in 2026, it has a running time of 140 minutes. Direction, Andrei Zvyagintsev; screenplay, Andrei Zvyagintsev; music: Evgueni Galperine, Sacha Galperine; sound: Andrei Dergatchev. Cast: Iris Lebedeva — Galina.
Best Actress 2026. Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto in Soudain, directed by Hamaguchi Ryusuke.
Marie-Lou runs a residential care home for the elderly and pursues with determination an innovative care philosophy based on listening and respect for the dignity of patients. Her approach, however, clashes with the resistance of part of the staff, unwilling to accept such a radical change in the way care and support for residents are conceived. Her meeting with Mari, a Japanese theatre director suffering from cancer, will profoundly change her life. An intense and supportive bond develops between the two women, leading them to share the same battle: transforming the impossible into something achievable. With Soudain, Hamaguchi Ryusuke delivers a human and emotional story about the value of closeness, dignity and resilience, crossing the boundary between pain and hope. Directed by Hamaguchi Ryusuke, the film is a co-production between France, Japan, Germany and Belgium. Produced in 2026, it has a running time of 196 minutes. Direction, Hamaguchi Ryusuke; screenplay: Hamaguchi Ryusuke, Léa Le Dimna; cinematography, Alan Guichaoua; production design, Mila Preli; music, Samuel Aandreyev; editing: Azuza Yamakazi, Minori Akimoto; sound: Pierre Mertens, Paul Heymans, Thomas Gauder. Cast: Virginie Efira, Tao Okamato, Kyozo Nagatsuka, Kodai Kurosaki, Jean-Charles Clichet, Marie Bunel.
Best Actor 2026. Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne in Coward, directed by Lukas Dhont.
While the First World War continues to devastate Europe, Pierre, a young soldier newly arrived at the front, is determined to prove his worth on the battlefield. Behind the lines, however, he meets Francis, a man attempting to restore a fragment of humanity to his fellow soldiers by organising a theatrical performance to raise the troops’ morale. Amid the horror and violence of war, the two men seek a possible escape from daily brutality, clinging to art, imagination and the fragile hope of still feeling alive, even if only for a moment. With Coward, Lukas Dhont delivers an intense human and war drama, reflecting on the need for beauty and escapism in times dominated by destruction. Directed by Lukas Dhont, the film is a co-production between Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Produced in 2026, it has a running time of 120 minutes. Direction, Lukas Dhont; screenplay: Lukas Dhont, Angelo Tijssens; production design, Eve Martin; cinematography, Frank Van Den Eeden SBC-NCS; music, Valentin Hadjadj; editing, Alain Dessauvage; sound, Yanna Soentjens. Cast: Emmanuel Macchia, Valentin Campagne.
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