The 65th edition of Cannes Critics’ Week was announced earlier this morning with a characteristically bold and discovery-driven lineup, as artistic director Ava Cahen, who has overseen La Semaine de la Critique since 2022, unveiled eleven features that continue the section’s reputation for championing emerging voices on the Croisette.
This year’s selection leans heavily into first-time filmmaking, with all four out-of-competition titles marking directorial debuts, while the competition itself includes a mix of promising newcomers and a pair of highly anticipated sophomore efforts. As always, many of these titles will also be in contention for the Caméra d’Or, awarded to the best first feature across the festival.
Opening the section is “In Waves,” the animated debut from Phuong Mai Nguyen. Adapted from AJ Dungo’s graphic memoir, the California-set love story follows two young people navigating romance and illness against a sun-soaked surfing backdrop. Notably, it becomes the first animated film to open Critics’ Week, further expanding the section’s evolving identity. The English-language voice cast includes Stephanie Hsu and Charles Melton, adding further visibility to an already buzzed-about project.
Among the seven competition titles, Blerta Basholli’s “Dua” stands out as a major get. The filmmaker, whose 2021 debut “Hive” made history at Sundance with a trio of top prizes, returns with a coming-of-age story centered on a 13-year-old girl grappling with societal expectations in Kosovo. Initially expected to arrive later in the year, its inclusion here signals strong confidence in the film.
Another anticipated second feature is Alexander Murphy’s documentary “Tin Castle” (formerly titled “Road Less Traveled”), which follows a family of ten children living in a precarious roadside existence inside a wheel-less caravan. The film continues Critics’ Week’s recent embrace of documentaries, a trend that has yielded award-winning titles in recent years.
The competition also includes Sara Ishaq’s “The Station,” a project developed through L’Atelier de la Cinéfondation. Set in a war-torn Yemeni village, it centers on a women-only fuel station and the tension between protection and independence as a young boy comes of age. Marine Atlan’s debut feature “La Gradiva” is another highlight, marking the transition of the acclaimed cinematographer into directing with a story set against the evocative backdrop of Pompeii.
Zou Jing’s “A Girl Unknown,” previously supported through the section’s Next Step program, further underscores Critics’ Week’s commitment to nurturing talent from short to feature filmmaking. The film explores the generational impact of China’s one-child policy through the life of a girl raised across multiple families. Rounding out the competition are Bruno Santamaría Razo’s “Six Months in the Pink Building,” a coming-of-age drama set during the HIV crisis, and Aina Clotet’s “Viva,” a bittersweet portrait of personal reinvention.
Out of competition, the section continues its tradition of spotlighting new voices with four debut features. Julien Gaspar-Oliveri’s “La Frappe” (“Stonewall”) delivers an intense family drama, while Pierre Le Gall’s “Flesh and Fuel” offers a romantic story set within the transient world of truck drivers.
Closing the section is Félix de Givry’s “Adieu Monde Cruel,” a project we’ve been looking forward to well in advance of this year’s lineup. Shot on Super 16 and starring Milo Machado-Graner (“Anatomy Of A Fall“) and Jane Beever, the film follows a teenager reckoning with the fallout of a failed suicide attempt.
With a strong showing from female filmmakers, a balance of fiction and documentary storytelling, and a continued emphasis on first and second features, this year’s Critics’ Week reaffirms its position as one of Cannes’ most vital platforms for discovering the next generation of global cinema talent.
The 65th Cannes Critics’ Week will run from May 13th to 21st.
The 2026 Cannes Critics’ Week Lineup
Competition:
Dua
Kosovo, Switzerland, France
Dir: Blerta Basholli
A Girl Unknown (Wu ming nü hai)
China, France
Dir: Zou Jing
La Gradiva
France, Italy
Dir: Marine Atlan
Six Months in the Pink Building (Seis Meses en el edificio rosa con azul)
Mexico, Denmark, Brazil
Dir: Bruno Santamaria Razo
The Station (Al Mahattah)
Yemen, Jordan, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway
Dir: Sara Ishaq
Tin Castle
Ireland, France
Dir: Alexander Murphy
Viva
Spain
Dir: Aina Clotet
Special Screenings:
In Waves (opening film)
France, Belgium
Dir: Phuong Mai Nguyen
Stonewall (La Frappe)
France
Dir Julien Gaspar-Oliveri
Flesh and Fuel (Du Fioul dans les artères)
France
Dir: Pierre Le Gall
Adieu monde cruel
France, Belgium
Dir: Félix de Givry
Which films are you looking forward to the most? Are you planning to attend the festival this year? Please let us know in the comments section below or on our X account.
