Directors‘ Fortnight, the independent sidebar competition that runs alongside the Cannes Film Festival, is adding a splash of star power to its 58th edition, alongside some major filmmaking names from the world of independent cinema.
Heading a typically eclectic lineup, the 2026 event is opening with “Butterly Fly,” the English-language debut from Kantemir Balagov, the Russian director behind the acclaimed 2019 drama “Beanpole.” The film, set in a tight-knit U.S. community of Circassian immigrants, stars Barry Keoghan, Riley Keough, Harry Melling and Monica Bellucci.
From the U.S., Reed Van Dyk brings his debut feature “Atonement,” starring Kenneth Branagh, Hiam Abbass, and Boyd Holbrook. Set during the early days of the Iraq War and inspired by real events, the film follows a U.S. marine’s attempts to reconcile with the survivor of a firefight that devastated an Iraqi family.
From Argentina, Lisandro Alonso returns to Cannes once again with “Double Freedom,” which comes almost quarter of a century after his debut feature, “La Libertad” premiered in Un Certain Regard and set a benchmark for so-called slow cinema.
South Korean writer-director July Jung returns to the Croisette with “Dora.” The film, starring Sakura Ando and Kim Doyeon, centers on a young woman whose physical and emotional illness begins to lift when she falls in love. One of the more consistent Korean presences at Cannes, Jung’s debut “A Girl at My Door” screened in Un Certain Regard in 2014, while “Next Sohee” closed Critics’ Week in 2022.
See the Directors’ Fortnight 2026 feature selection below.
Source: variety.com