🧩 The High Art of Shaping a Selection - Cannes day 3
This is your French update, live from Cannes. And daily.
Friday May 15th 2026
TOGETHER WITH :
LE BIG STORY 📥
ACID: "Films That Shift the Perspective"
How many projects did you receive this year? From which countries? We received around 650 films, which sets a new record. The number of French films is stable, but we are receiving more and more inte…
SPECIAL FOCUS 🔎
With "L’Inconnue" and "Les Matins merveilleux," To Be Continued Experiences a Whirlwind Cannes
This Cannes edition is a major milestone for the production company To Be Continued. Producer Lionel Guedj is navigating the festival with two completely different projects that showcase the company’…
UN CAFÉ WITH ☕️
Julien Rejl (General Delegate of the Directors' Fortnight): "At the end of our selection process, nothing must be missing"
How do you view this edition? Julien Rejl: It is part of a form of continuity, with a prolonged desire to open the selection to all mediums of cinematic writing. For example, we are working to better…
SPONSORED BY UK GLOBAL FILM FUND
The UK signals its continued commitment to international collaboration with the UK Global Screen Fund expanding in budget and scope
The BFI has announced strategic plans for the expanded UK Global Screen Fund, following its budget increase to over £18m per year for 2026-29, up from £7m per year previously. Financed through the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), this enhanced investment into the UK Global Screen Fund was confirmed last June as part of the Screen Growth Package, to develop international business capabilities, enable co-productions and further drive international ambitions for UK screen sector companies. The UK Global Screen Fund’s 2026-29 strategic plan builds on the successful interventions made since it launched in 2021 to boost international development, production, distribution, and promotional opportunities for the UK’s independent screen sector.
LE PETIT UPDATE 🗞️
The CNC’s 2025 Annual Report paints a mixed picture. Theatrical attendance dropped 14% to 156 million tickets. Meanwhile, the VOD market boomed to €2.9 billion. Still, France remains Europe’s top theatrical market.
The audiovisual sector faces a funding crisis. At a Cannes panel, France Télévisions’ Delphine Ernotte urged deeper platform integration into European financing. Concurrently, unions demanded strict AI regulations to protect dubbing actors from voice cloning.
Apollo Films presented a comedy-heavy 2026/2027 slate. Key titles include La Nirvana and La Maison de nos rêves. The distributor also pitched new collaborative marketing strategies to exhibitors. This includes premium lobby merchandise and targeted regional tours.
The CST is managing nearly 1,500 screenings at Cannes to ensure flawless projection. Beyond the festival, the technical commission is tackling poor audio mixing in cinema pre-shows. They are also launching AI training programs for VFX artists.