It is among 19 features, selected from 1,800 submissions, and nine short and medium-length works announced on Tuesday by the parallel section for its 2026 edition running from May 13 to 23, alongside the Cannes Film Festival.
Butterfly Jam revolves around a teenager growing up in New Jersey’s Circassian community, with dreams of becoming a wrestler, whose life takes an unexpected turn when one of his father’s misguided schemes goes wrong. Related Stories News Yeon Sang-ho's Cannes Midnight Title 'Colony' Passes 3 Million Admissions On Korean Release News Neon Boss Tom Quinn Isn't A Fan Of Industry Consolidation: "How Would You Feel If A24 & Neon Merged? That Would Be Ridiculous"
It is exiled Russian director Balagov’s first English-language feature after his 2019 Cannes breakout Beanpole. Watch on Deadline
Artistic Director Julien Rejl and his team have delivered one of the most high-profile and starriest Directors’ Fortnight selections since he took first took the helm for the 2023 edition.
Shot in 35mm in Nigeria, Clarissa is the second feature from the Esiri brothers after debut Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), which premiered in Berlin and went on to win five African Movie Academy Awards.
Neon acquired U.S. rights to the film earlier this year and is also handling international sales. It one of two Neon pre-buys in this year’s selection alongside documentary Once Upon A Time In Harlem, which debuted in Sundance this year. Read Deadline’s deep dive into the film here.
Rejl, who marked his early editions with a desire to showcase true discoveries, that had not even been scouted by development labs, appears to have changed his approach for this edition.
Starring Anthony Boyle, Joe Cole, Jay Lycurgo, Daryl McCormack and Lola Petticrew and adapted from the book of the same name by Keiran Goddard, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning marks Bernard’s third time Directors’ Fortnight in Ava & Ali and The Selfish Giant.
Other animations in the lineup include animated Bizet adaptation Viva Carmen by Sebastien Laudenbach, whose last film Chicken for Linda! went on to win best film at Annecy in 2023 and a César the following year.
Six first films are in the mix this year including 9 Temples To Heaven by Thai director Sompot Chidgasornpongse, a long-time collaborator of Apichatpong Weerasethakul who previously took assistant director credits on Memoria and Cemetery of Splendour.
Other debuts include Atonement, Norwegian director Eivind Landsvik’s Low Expectations, French filmmaker Maxence Voiseux’s documentary Gabin, Swiss-Italian director Sarah Arnold’s Too Many Beasts and Japanese director Kohei Kadowaki’s animation We Are Aliens.
As previously announced, Directors’ Fortnight will fete Claire Denis the honorary Golden Carriage (Carrosse d’Or) at the opening ceremony on May 13.
Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2026 Edition
Butterfly Jam (opening film)Dir: Kantemir Balagov
9 Temples To Heaven *Dir: Sompot Chidgasornpongse
Death has no master (La muerte no tiene dueño)Dir: Jorge Thielen Armand
The Diary of a ChambermaidDir: Radu Jude
Double Freedom (La libertad doble)Dir: Lisandro Alonso
Gabin * – documentaryDir: Maxence Voiseux
I See Buildings Fall Like LightningDir: Clio Barnard
Low Expectations (Lave Forventninger) *Dir: Eivind Landsvik
Once Upon A Time In Harlem – documentaryDirs: William Greaves & David Greaves
Viva Carmen (Carmen, L’Oiseau Rebel) – animationDir: Sebastian Laundenbach
We Are Aliens (animation) *Dir: Kohei Kadowaki
Le Vertige – animation (Closing Film)Dir: Quentin Dupieux
The Joyless Economy – documentary Dir: Marjorie Conrad
PitheadDir: Wannes Vanspauwen & Pol De Plecker
The Daughters Of The Late ColonelDir: Elizabeth Hobbs
Nothing Happens After Your AbsenceDir: Ibrahim Omar
Free Eliza (Notes On An Anatomical Imperfection)Dir: Alexandra Matheou
In Search of the Green-striped BirdDir: Saïd Hamich Benlarb
Source: deadline.com