A ceremony at the Grand Theatre Lumiere officially opens the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. Leading the lineup is one of the emerging French actresses, Eye Haïdara (already nominated for a César and a Lumière Award), who is also at the festival starring in Agnès Jaoui's "The Object of the Crime," presented in the non-competitive section dedicated to Cannes Premiere previews.
This year's opening film is Pierre Salvadori's French film La Vénus Électrique, starring Pio Marmai, Anais Demoustier, Gilles Lellouche, Vimala Pons, Gustave Kervern, and Madeleine Baudot. It's a burlesque romantic comedy set in Paris in 1928. "Cannes celebrates everything I love about cinema," Salvadori comments, "direction, boldness, freedom, and filmmakers. Cannes discovers them, supports them, and celebrates them. In its own way, my film embodies all the confidence and love I have for my art. I'm so proud and happy that it's the opening film of the Festival."
Among the protagonists of the first day of the Festival was Guillermo del Toro , who returns to the Croisette to present the restored 4K version of "Pan's Labyrinth", 20 years after its debut in Cannes, where it received a standing ovation lasting over 22 minutes, the longest ever recorded.
Among the expected stars are Barbra Streisand and Peter Jackson, winners of Palme d'Or for Lifetime Achievement; Demi Moore and Stellan Skarsgard on the international jury; Julianne Moore, who will receive the Women in Motion Award ; but also, in competition, out of competition, other sections, meetings and events, names such as Cate Blanchett, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, Glenn Close, Tilda Swinton, John Travolta (who is presenting his directorial debut, Night Flight to L.A.) , Kristen Stewart, Gillian Anderson, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Monica Bellucci, Sandra Huller, Adam Driver, Rami Malek, Ayo Edebiri, Woody Harrelson, Renate Reinsve, Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, Hannah Einbinder, Sebastian Stan.
Not forgetting the parade of French (and not only) cinema stars, including Isabelle Huppert, Adele Exharcopoulos, Léa Seydoux, Marion Cotillard, Virginie Efira, Catherine Deneuve, Guillaume Canet, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Gilles Lellouche, Léa Drucker, Daniel Auteuil.
