With Park Chan-wook presiding over the Cannes Film Festival 2026 awards ceremony at the Palais des Festivals, the jury is set to reveal the Palme d’Or winner—alongside major prizes including the Camera d’Or and Short Film Palme d’Or. Filmmakers and talent retu
Saturday in the south of France doesn’t feel quiet at all. After two weeks of new world cinema at the Cannes Film Festival 2026, the atmosphere in and around the Palais des Festivals is still charged with the same question: who will take the Palme d’Or?
This year, the competition jury will decide the top prize and other awards during the annual awards ceremony. Park Chan-wook—South Korean director—heads the jury as president, joined by filmmakers Diego Cespedes, Laura Wandel, and Chloé Zhao. The panel also includes actors Isaach de Bankolé, Demi Moore, Ruth Negga, and Stellan Skarsgård, plus screenwriter Paul Laverty.
The Palme d’Or winner will be revealed when the jury announces its decision, but the stakes don’t stop there. The Camera d’Or—the festival’s prize for best first feature across the entire festival—will be decided by an independent jury.
That separate jury has Carla Simón as president, tasked with selecting the Short Film Palme d’Or as well. She’ll be working alongside artist/actress Park Ji-Min, screenwriter/producer Ali Asgari, actor/director Salim Kechiouche, and director/screenwriter Magnus von Horn.
Buzz has been swirling through the festival’s competition lineup. and a shortlist of “IndieWire’s favorite films out of the Cannes competition” has included “All of a Sudden. ” “The Black Ball. ” “Fatherland. ” “Fjord. ” “Minotaur. ” and “Paper Tiger.” The same rumor mill has been busy with the question of who might be coming back for final moments. On an X thread shared by Kyle Buchanan. intel was offered about what filmmakers and talent were invited back to the festival.
From that pattern of returns. it’s been rumored that people from “All of a Sudden. ” “The Black Ball. ” “Coward. ” “The Dreamed Adventure. ” “Fatherland. ” “Fjord. ” and “Minotaur” were seen back at the festival. The buzz wasn’t only online. From the YouTube red carpet live stream. returning attendees included “Fatherland” director Pawel Pawlikowski. “All of a Sudden” director Ryusuke Hamaguchi and his cast. Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo and their “Black Ball” cast. Lukas Dhont and the stars of “Coward. ” and Andrey Zvyagintsev and his “Minotaur” actors.
That excitement runs alongside a different kind of pressure: who will ultimately distribute what wins. For a refresh. the last six consecutive Palme d’Or winners were distributed by Neon in North America. including last year’s “It Was Just an Accident. ” as well as Oscar Best Picture winner “Anora.” But other distributors could disrupt that streak. Netflix has acquired “The Black Ball” and “Gentle Monster,” while Mubi has “Coward,” “Fatherland,” and “Minotaur.”.
Right now, the ceremony is about to move from speculation to official names. The competition jury is set to reveal the winner of the Palme d’Or and more prizes during the annual awards ceremony inside the Palais des Festivals. The Camera d’Or will be awarded for best first feature across the entire festival. decided by an independent jury. while the Short Film Palme d’Or will be selected by the short film jury led by Carla Simón.
Cannes Film Festival 2026 Award Winners
Palme d’Or:
Grand Prix:
Jury Prize:
Best Director:
Best Actress:
Best Actor:
Best Screenplay:
Camera d’Or for Best First Feature:
Short Film Palme d’Or:
Cannes Film Festival 2026 Palme d’Or Park Chan-wook Palais des Festivals Camera d’Or Short Film Palme d’Or Carla Simón Demi Moore Ruth Negga Chloé Zhao Park Ji-Min Ali Asgari Netflix Mubi Neon IndieWire favorite films