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Cannes 2026 Embraces Global Cinema, Excludes Streamers

4/9/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The Cannes Film Festival's 2026 selection shifts away from Hollywood toward global cinema, led by Pedro Almodóvar (Spanish director) and Asghar Farhadi (Iranian director).
Farhadi's Parallel Tales, set in France, critiques the Iranian government.
The festival excludes streamer-only films, maintaining its traditional stance.
Andrey Zvyagintsev (Russian director) presents Minotaur, signaling engagement with geopolitics amid Russia's war on Ukraine.

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Story summary

The Cannes Film Festival's 2026 selection shifts away from Hollywood toward global cinema, led by Pedro Almodóvar (Spanish director) and Asghar Farhadi (Iranian director).
Farhadi's Parallel Tales, set in France, critiques the Iranian government.
The festival excludes streamer-only films, maintaining its traditional stance.
Andrey Zvyagintsev (Russian director) presents Minotaur, signaling engagement with geopolitics amid Russia's war on Ukraine.