\n<\/p>\n
\n\tKantemir Balagov\u2019s New Jersey-set drama Butterfly Jam<\/em>, starring\u00a0 Barry Keoghan and Riley Keough, will open the 58th edition of Cannes Directors\u2019 Fortnight.<\/p>\n \n\tIt is among 19 features, selected from 1,800 submissions, and nine short and medium-length works announced on Tuesday by the parallel section for its 2026 edition running from May 13 to 23, alongside the Cannes Film Festival.<\/p>\n \n\tButterfly Jam<\/em> revolves around a teenager from growing up in New Jersey\u2019s Circassian community, with dreams of becoming a wrestler, whose life takes an unexpected turn when one of his father\u2019s misguided schemes goes wrong.<\/p>\n \n\tIt is exiled Russian director Balagov\u2019s first English-language feature after his 2019 Cannes breakout Beanpole<\/em>.<\/p>\n \n\tIt is produced by Alexander Rodnyansky\u2019s\u00a0AR Content, Pascal Caucheteux\u2019s\u00a0Why Not Productions (Emilia P\u00e9rez<\/em>) and Goodfellas, which is also handling sales.<\/p>\n \n\tArtistic Director Julien Rejl, and his team have delivered one of the most high-profile and starriest Directors\u2019 Fortnight selections since he took first took the helm for the 2023 edition.<\/p>\n \n\tAside from Butterfly Jam<\/em>, with Keoghan and Keough, the lineup also features Reed Van Dyk\u2019s Iraqi war veteran drama Atonement<\/em>,<\/em> with Kenneth Branagh, Hiam Abbass and Boyd Holbrook; Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri\u2019s \u2018Mrs Dalloway-reimagining Clarissa<\/em> with Sophie Okonedo, David Oyelowo and Ayo Edebiri, and July Jung\u2019s Dora<\/em>, starring Japanese actress Sakura Ando (Shoplifters<\/em>) and K-pop star and actress Kim Do-yeon.<\/p>\n \n\tShot in 35mm in Nigeria, Clarissa <\/em>is the second feature from the Esiri brothers after debut Eyimofe (This Is My Desire)<\/em>, which premiered in Berlin and went on to win five African Movie Academy Awards.<\/p>\n \n\tNeon acquired U.S. rights to the film earlier this year and is also handling international sales. It one of two Neon prebuys in this year\u2019s selection alongside documentary Once Upon A Time In Harlem<\/em>, which debuted in Sundance this year. Read Deadline\u2019s deep dive into the film here.<\/p>\n \n\tRejl, who marked his early editions with a desire to true discoveries, that had not even been scouted up by development labs, appears to have changed his approach for this edition.<\/p>\n \n\tA number of established directors have made the cut this year including Clio Barnard\u2019s I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning<\/em>; Radu Jude\u2019s The Diary of a Chambermaid<\/em>; Alain Cavalier\u2019s Thanks for Coming<\/em> (Merci d\u2019\u00eatre venu<\/em>); Lisandro Alonso\u2019s Double Freedom<\/em>, Quentin Dupieux\u2018s Le Vertige<\/em> and Domingo Sotomayor\u2019s La Perra<\/em>.<\/p>\n \n\tStarring Anthony Boyle, Joe Cole, Jay Lycurgo, Daryl McCormack and Lola Petticrew and adapted from the book of the same name by Keiran Goddard, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning<\/em> marks Bernard\u2019s third time in Ava & Ali <\/em>and The Selfish Giant<\/em>.<\/p>\n \n\tCavalier\u2019s Thanks for Coming<\/em> (Merci d\u2019\u00eatre venu) <\/em>continue his series of works documenting his life and thought on filmmaking as he ages, and could be the last work of the 94-year-old director.<\/p>\n \n\tJude\u2019s adaptation of Octave Mirbeau\u2019s classic The Diary of a Chambermaid,<\/em> \u00a0starring Ana Dumitrascu alongside\u00a0Vincent Macaigne\u00a0and M\u00e9lanie Thierry, marks the Romanian director\u2019s first time in Cannes.<\/p>\n \n\tA late submission, Argentinian director Alonso\u2019s new film is described as a demi-remake of his 2001 breakthrough film Freedom \u00a0<\/em>revisiting the protagonist Misael in a different time of Argentina\u2019s history. <\/p>\n \n\tThere is still space for first films in the section, which last year debuted Iraqi drama The President\u2019s Cake<\/em>, which went on to win the Cannes Cam\u00e9ra d\u2019Or prize, open to all first films playing across the Official Selection and parallel sections, and then made it to the short list in the International Feature Film category 98th Academy Awards as Iraq\u2019s submission.<\/p>\n \n\tSix first films are in the mix this year including 9 Temples To Heaven<\/em> by Thai director Sompot Chidgasornpongse, a long-time collaborator of Apichatpong Weerasethakul who previously took assistant director credits on Memoria <\/em>and Cemetery of Splendour<\/em>.<\/p>\n \n\tOther debuts include Atonement<\/em>, Norwegian director Eivind Landsvik\u2019s Low Expectations<\/em>, French filmmaker Maxence Voiseux\u2019s documentary Gabin<\/em>, \u00a0Swiss-Italian director Sarah Arnold\u2019s Too Many Beasts<\/em> and Japanese director Kohei Kadowaki\u2019s We Are Aliens<\/em>.<\/p>\n \n\tAs previously announced, Directors\u2019 Fortnight will fete Claire Denis\u00a0will be feted with the honorary Golden Carriage (Carrosse d\u2019Or) at the opening ceremony on May 13.<\/p>\n \n\tCannes Directors\u2019 Fortnight 2026 Edition<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tFeature Films<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\t(*denotes first film and eligibility for Cam\u00e9ra d\u2019Or)<\/p>\n \n\tButterfly Jam<\/em> (opening film) \n\t9 Temples To Heaven<\/em> * \n\tAtonement<\/em> * \n\tClarissa<\/em> \n\tDeath has no master<\/em> (La muerte no tiene due\u00f1o<\/em>) \n\tThe Diary of a Chambermaid<\/em> \n\tDora<\/em> \n\tDouble Freedom<\/em> (La libertad doble<\/em>) \n\tGabin<\/em> * \u2013 documentary \n\tI See Buildings Fall Like Lightning<\/em> \n\tLow Expectations<\/em> (Lave Forventninger<\/em>) * \n\tOnce Upon A Time In Harlem<\/em> \u2013 documentary \n\tLa Perra<\/em> \n\tShana<\/em> \n\tThanks for Coming<\/em> (Merci d\u2019\u00eatre venu<\/em>) \u2013 documentary \n\tToo Many Beasts<\/em> (l\u2019Esp\u00e8ce Explosive<\/em>) * \n\tViva Carmen<\/em> (Carmen, L\u2019Oiseau Rebel<\/em>) \u2013 animation \n\tWe Are Aliens<\/em> (animation) * \n\tLe Vertige<\/em> \u2013 animation (Closing Film) \n\tShort and Medium-Length Films<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tThe Joyless Economy<\/em> \u2013 documentary \n\tOh Boys<\/em> \n\tEarly Morning<\/em> \n\tEri<\/em> \u2013 animation \n\tPithead<\/em> \n\tThe Daughters Of The Late Colonel<\/em>
Dir: Kantemir Balagov<\/p>\n
Dir: Sompot Chidgasornpongse<\/p>\n
Dir: \u00a0Reed Van Dyk<\/p>\n
Dirs: Arie Esiri & Chuko Esiri<\/p>\n
Dir: \u00a0Jorge Thielen Armand<\/p>\n
Dir: Radu Jude<\/p>\n
Dir: July Jung<\/p>\n
Dir: Lisandro Alonso<\/p>\n
Dir: Maxence Voiseux<\/p>\n
Dir: Clio Barnard<\/p>\n
Dir: \u00a0Eivind Landsvik<\/p>\n
Dirs: William Greaves & David Greaves<\/p>\n
Dir: Domingo Sotomayor<\/p>\n
Dir. Lila Pinell<\/p>\n
Dir: Alain Cavalier<\/p>\n
Dir: \u00a0Sarah Arnold<\/p>\n
Dir: Sebastian Laundenbach<\/p>\n
Dir: Kohei Kadowaki<\/p>\n
Dir: Quentin Dupieux<\/p>\n
Dir: Marjorie Conrad<\/p>\n
Dir: Antonio Donato<\/p>\n
Dir. Sebasti\u00e1n Lojo<\/p>\n
Dir: Yano Honami<\/p>\n
Dir: Wannes Vanspauwen & Pol De Plecker<\/p>\n
Dir: Elizabeth Hobbs<\/p>\n