Cannes 2026: Zvyagintsev’s “Minotaur” joins new films by Almodóvar and Farhadi

The organisers of the 79th Cannes Film Festival have unveiled the main part of this year’s programme. The competition lineup includes 21 films, among them new works by Pedro Almodóvar, Paweł Pawlikowski, Asghar Farhadi and Andrey Zvyagintsev. This year’s jury will be chaired by Park Chan-wook, the director behind “Oldboy”, “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” and “Decision to Leave”. Afisha.London has a closer look at the programme.

This article is also available in Russian here

The return of Andrey Zvyagintsev is one of the most talked-about events of this year’s festival. His film “Minotaur” marks the director’s first feature in nearly a decade following “Loveless”. Inspired by ancient Greek tragedy, the story centres on a Russian businessman who discovers his wife’s infidelity. Filming took place in Riga in 2025, with Iris Lebedeva, Anatoly Bely and Varvara Shmykova among the cast.

inter aria https://prf.hn/l/6POxLZp/

Another highlight is Paweł Pawlikowski’s new film “Fatherland”, in which director turns to the figure of Thomas Mann. The film follows the writer’s return to Germany and his journey to Weimar with his daughter Erika. The cast features some of the most recognisable names in German cinema, including August Diehl — widely known for his recent portrayal of Woland in “The Master and Margarita” — as well as Sandra Hüller and Hanns Zischler.

Read also: Cinema is not a consolation pill: film director and screenwriter Andrey Zvyagintsev about creativity, international success, and life after a coma.

The strong auteur lineup is further reinforced by Pedro Almodóvar’s “Bitter Christmas” (“Amarga Navidad”) and Asghar Farhadi’s “Parallel Stories” (“Histoires parallèles”), starring Isabelle Huppert and Vincent Cassel.

At the same time, the festival has largely moved away from Hollywood blockbusters. While last year’s Cannes featured major studio premieres such as “Mad Max” and “Mission: Impossible”, this year they are almost entirely absent. The only American director in the main competition is Ira Sachs, who will present a musical drama set in the 1980s New York.

Cyrano de Bergerac https://prf.hn/l/lQd5k5d/

Out of competition, another major return is expected. Nicolas Winding Refn will present his new film “Her Private Hell” — a thriller starring Charles Melton and Sophie Thatcher. It marks the director’s first feature-length project in several years and signals his return to the big screen.

More than 2,500 films from 141 countries were submitted for selection this year — a record for the festival. Honorary Palme d’Or awards will be presented to director Peter Jackson and actress and singer Barbra Streisand. The festival will take place from May 12 to May 23 on the French Riviera.

Cover photo: “Minotaur” filming / IMDb.com (© Oleh Filatov)

To Kill a Mockingbird

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