The countdown to the 2026Cannes Film Festivalis on! Artistic director Thierry Frmaux and president Iris Knobloch will clue viewers in on which films made the coveted official selection, the popular Un Certain Regard sidebar and other parts of the program for the 79th edition of the fest during a Paris press conference starting at 11 a.m. local time/10 a.m. London time/5 a.m. New York time on Thursday morning.

Last week, Cannes unveiled that its 2026 edition would open with Pierre Salvadoris 1920s-setLa Vnus lectrique (The Electric Kiss) on May 12, following the opening ceremony hosted by actress Eye Hadara. It also unveiled the world premiere of John Travoltas directorial debut,Propeller One-Way Night Coach,in the Cannes Premiere Selection. The fest described Salvadoris 11th feature film as a delightfully burlesque romantic comedy that is the filmmakers imaginings of the Roaring 20s, marked by artistic effervescence, popular entertainment, and spiritualism. Pio Marma stars in the movie, marking his fourth collaboration with Salvadori, alongside Anas Demoustier (The Count of Monte Cristo) and Gilles Lellouche (Beating Hearts). Vimala Pons and Gustave Kervern also feature in the film.

South Koreandirector Park Chan-wook, the acclaimed filmmaker behindOldboy,The Handmaiden and

No Other Choice, will be the jury president of Cannes 2026, heading up the group that will select the winner of this years Palme dOr.

The Lord of the Ringsdirector Peter Jackson will receive an honorary Palme dOr in recognition of his lifes work at this yearsfestival. The New Zealand filmmaker has never had a film in official selection in Cannes, but his connection to the fests market goes back to 1988, when he brought his first feature,Bad Taste, to the Marche, securing global distribution for the low-budget splatter horror classic. And in 2001, Jackson screened 26 minutes of promo footage fromThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, winning over scepticalinternationaldistributors.

Jafar Panahis It Was Just an Accident won last years Cannes Palme dOr. The 79th annual Cannes Film Festival runs May 12-23.

Watch the unveiling of the 2026 lineup live below.