When filmmakers, performers, and movie enthusiasts converged on the Croisette this year, a single question persisted: What would the Cannes landscape resemble if major Hollywood studios sat out the competition?
A common thread running through numerous festival critiques lamented that the program seemed noticeably less robust compared to prior editions. On the surface, however, Cannes appeared unchanged—standing ovations continued, business deals were struck, and, naturally, a Palme d’Or was presented.
Yet, without the Hollywood blockbuster presence, Cannes 2026 mirrored an evolving film landscape, one where TikTok personalities can step into directing roles, AI streamlines production workflows, and re-releases breathe fresh energy into classic award contenders.
1. Neon Extended Its Palme d’Or Dominance
On May 23, the New York-based independent studio claimed its seventh consecutive Palme d’Or with Fjord.
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Nearly every one of Neon’s previous six Palme-winning titles earned at least one Oscar nomination, with 2021’s Titane standing as the sole outlier. Both Parasite (2019) and Anora (2024) took home Best Picture. This is a remarkable achievement for a company that has been in operation for only nine years.
This track record strongly suggests that Fjord will become a major Oscar contender for the studio come fall, particularly given the updated Academy regulation stating that international films winning the Palme d’Or—along with other qualifying festival honors—will automatically be eligible for consideration in the Best International Feature category.
Neon also plans to distribute eight additional films from Cannes 2026—more than any other studio to date. One of those, All of a Sudden, secured the Cannes Best Actress award for its stars Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto.
This year, numerous major Hollywood studios opted out of Cannes competition, following years in which studio entries like Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Megalopolis, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny fell short of box office expectations following mixed-to-negative Cannes receptions.
By stepping aside, however, they created room for arthouse distributors like Neon to steer the conversation this year.
Despite Neon’s big win with Fjord, the studio also encountered harsh critical and audience pushback for Her Private Hell, which currently holds a 46% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 2.2 Letterboxd average rating.
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and slated for a U.S. release on July 24, the film features Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, and Havana Rose Liu in a futuristic city where a strange mist descends, unleashing a deadly serial killer. This title will be one to watch at the box office to see whether its poor reviews affect ticket sales.
2. ‘Club Kid’ Became an Unexpected Hit
Club Kid — the feature directorial debut from I Love L.A.’s Jordan Firstman, who also appears in the film — may prove to be this year’s Cannes breakout success, and it wasn’t even in competition.
