Cannes 2026: Vietnamese cinema showcases local flair

Sài Gòn Giải phóng

18/06/2026

23:39

From short films and independent cinema projects to commercial works introduced at the Marché du Film, the increasingly diverse presence of Vietnamese filmmakers at Cannes 2026 demonstrates their efforts to reach the global stage with unique stories, cultural materials, and the distinct voice of Vietnamese cinema.

Giấc mơ là ốc sên, đại diện Việt Nam tranh giải Cành cọ vàng hạng mục Phim ngắn tại Cannes 2026

Unique stories

The most notable highlight for Vietnamese cinema at this year's Cannes is the presence of The Snail (directed by Nguyen Thien An) in the competition for the Short Film Palme d'Or. Out of 3,184 short films submitted this year, only 10 were selected for the official competition, reflecting the intense level of competition. The Snail is also the sole representative from Asia, alongside films from France, Portugal, Poland, Colombia, and others.

Following this success, Nguyen Thien An's feature film project, The Snail Automation, was also selected for Focus COPRO, a training program within the framework of the Cannes Film Festival dedicated to promising debut projects.

The Snail Automation is produced by Kontribute Studio and co-produced by CJ Vietnam and East Films. According to director Nguyen Thien An, through a lens of satire and allegory, the film serves as a colorful portrait of a young generation struggling to find their place in a consumerist society.

Focus COPRO gathers debut projects in development from directors who have previously had short films selected at Cannes, while providing opportunities to connect with producers, film funds, distributors, and international project development platforms.

This year, the program selected only 7 projects. Sharing with Variety, Florian Fernandez, head of the Short Film Corner (SFC) and Rendez-vous Industry (a forum for short filmmakers), assessed that the 7 projects are ambitious, powerful, unique, and promising, led by filmmakers with bold and distinct visions. Florian Fernandez noted that The Snail Automation and the other selected films this year truly embody the spirit of the initiative.

This year, the Marché du Film (currently the world's largest film market) also features the Vietnamese horror project The Ancestral Sin, adapted from the horror game of the same name by Rare Reversee. The project is produced by Chanh Phuong Films, with the participation of producer Charlie Nguyen, director Doan Si Nguyen, and screenwriter Tran Khanh Hoang.

A notable aspect of The Ancestral Sin is its exploration of indigenous cultural materials, combining urban legends, East Asian spiritual elements, and family tragedy—a direction that has helped many Asian horror films gain international appeal in recent years. The film is scheduled for release in 2027.

The race of big names

Cannes this year remains a "mecca" for cinema, gathering directors with strong personal imprints. Japan is a noteworthy film industry with 3 representatives: Ryusuke Hamaguchi (All of a Sudden), Koji Fukada (Nagi Notes), and especially Hirokazu Kore-eda—who won the Palme d'Or in 2018 (with Sheep in the Box).

In addition, there is a series of top directors in world art cinema such as: Asghar Farhadi (Parallel Tale), Andrey Zvyagintsev (Minotaur), Pedro Almodóvar (Bitter Christmas), Pawel Pawlikowski (Fatherland), James Gray (Paper Tiger), Ira Sachs (The Man I Love), and Cristian Mungiu (Fjord)—the Romanian director who won the Palme d'Or in 2007 with the work 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.

In this year's Cannes competition season, male directors still dominate, as only 5 female directors appear in the list of 22 films. However, the participation of two female directors, Marie Kreutzer (Gentle Monster) and Valeska Grisebach (The Dreamed Adventure), is a very positive sign.

The 2026 Cannes Film Festival takes place from May 12 to 23. South Korean director Park Chan-wook serves as the Jury President, and the film The Electric Kiss (directed by Pierre Salvadori) was chosen as the opening film. The official poster for this year's event uses an image of actresses Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon on the set of the film Thelma & Louise (directed by Ridley Scott), which was the closing film of the 44th Film Festival in 1991.

This is the 79th time the Cannes Film Festival (held in Cannes, France) has been organized. This year, the festival will award two Honorary Palmes d'Or to New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson and American actress, singer, and director Barbra Streisand.

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