Cannes Unveils Lineup for 79th Edition with Notable Arab Presence in Un Certain Regard

The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its 79th edition, set to run from May 12 to May 23, 2026, with selections spanning Competition, Un Certain Regard, Special Screenings and other official sections. The festival will open with Pierre Salvadori’s La Vénus Électrique, screening out of competition.

Arab participation stands out most clearly in Un Certain Regard, where Moroccan director Laïla Marrakchi joins the section with La Más Dulce and Palestinian filmmaker Rakan Mayasi arrives with his first feature, Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep. The broader regional presence also extends to Competition through Asghar Farhadi’s Parallel Tales and Arthur Harari’s The Unknown.

La Más Dulce follows Moroccan seasonal workers in southern Spain facing abuse and harassment, while Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep centres on two sisters moving through a valley shaped by memory, silence and tribal codes. The section’s 2026 jury will be led by Leïla Bekhti, with Lebanese composer Khaled Mouzanar among its members.