The 2026 Cannes Film Festival kicks off this week, offering plenty of buzzy titles for buyers to grab. Acclaimed voices like Asghar Farhadi and Ira Sachs, as well as first-time feature filmmakers such as Jordan Firstman, Andy Garcia and Maria Martínez Bayona, will debut their latest work at the annual festival.
As potential buyers look at the slate of films screening, however, they will likely notice that several heavy hitters are already off the board — thanks in no small part to Neon, the American indie film company that’s made an increasing name for itself at the overseas fest. Through an aggressive purchasing strategy, Neon has been the distributor of the past six consecutive Palme d’Or winners and four of the five 2026 nominees for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards (all of which had Cannes premieres).
This year, Neon has already bought eight films premiering at Cannes: six (“All of a Sudden,” “Fjord,” “Hope,” “Paper Tiger,” “Sheep in the Box,” “The Unknown”) in competition for the Palme d’Or, one (“Clarissa”) in Directors’ Fortnight and one (“Her Private Hell”) out of competition. Neon also acquired the rights to “Once Upon a Time in Harlem,” which premiered at Sundance 2026 but will screen in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes.
“Neon has made our jobs a lot easier, in a way, because so many titles are already off the shelf,” said Julien Levesque, a film agent at Gersh who spoke to TheWrap ahead of the festival. “I’m really interested to see how this Cannes goes. I think it’ll be successful for the films that are there, but in terms of a domestic lens, there’s much more European films and non-English language films that are there.”
Even with Neon’s purchasing spree, there are plenty of films to go around. Here are the 12 buzziest titles up for sale at Cannes 2026.
“Atonement”
Synopsis: A troubled marine seeks to reconcile with the survivors of an Iraqi family he and his unit fired on back in 2003.
Directed by Reed Van Dyk. Written by Reed Van Dyk. Starring Boyd Holbrook, Kenneth Branagh, Hiam Abbass.
Buzz factor: “Atonement” may be his feature debut, but Reed Van Dyk already has one Oscar nomination under his belt. The writer/director steered “DeKalb Elementary,” nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 2018 Academy Awards.
Sales are repped by CAA Media Finance and WME Independent.
“The Beloved”
Synopsis: The acclaimed film director Esteban Martínez is a legend both for his films and for his past marked by violence and excess. For his new project, he offers his daughter Emilia a role under the pretext of helping her with her stalled acting career. Living together on set will foster a closeness they haven’t shared for years, but it will also reopen old wounds that never healed.
Directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen. Written by Isabel Peña, Rodrigo Sorogoyen. Starring Javier Bardem, Victoria Luengo.
Buzz factor: Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen returns after his critically acclaimed feature “The Beasts,” uniting with Javier Bardem for a film competing for the Palme d’Or.
Sales are repped by Goodfellas.
“The Birthday Party”
Synopsis: Thomas, Nora and their teenage daughter Ida live on remote marshland. Social contact is limited, as they only have one neighbour, Cristina, an Italian painter. As the two households plan a surprise birthday party for Nora, strange disturbances begin to occur and unease rolls over the marsh.
Directed by Léa Mysius. Written by Léa Mysius. Starring Hafsia Herzi, Bastien Bouillon.
Buzz factor: “The Birthday Party” is the first feature written by Léa Mysius since she received an Academy Award nomination for co-writing the screenplay for “Emilia Pérez.” The film adapts Laurent Mauvignier’s novel of the same name and is playing in competition.
Sales are repped by MK2 Films.
“Club Kid”
Synopsis: A washed-up New York party promoter is forced to turn his life around when an unexpected visitor arrives.
Directed by Jordan Firstman. Written by Jordan Firstman. Starring Jordan Firstman, Cara Delevingne, Diego Calva.
Buzz factor: “Club Kid” marks the feature directorial debut of actor/writer/influencer Jordan Firstman, who currently stars on the Rachel Sennott comedy series “I Love LA.”
Sales are repped by UTA.
“Coward”
Synopsis: As the First World War drags on, Pierre, a soldier newly arrived at the front, is eager to prove himself. Behind the lines, he meets Francis, who decides to lift the spirits of his comrades by putting together a theatre show. While the violence continues, both men try to find ways to escape the brutality of war, even if only for a moment.
Directed by Lukas Dhont. Written by Lukas Dhont, Angelo Tijssens. Starring Emmanuel Macchia, Valentin Campagne.
Buzz factor: “Coward” sees Lukas Dhont in the director’s chair for the first time since the coming-of-age gut punch “Close,” nominated for Best International Feature on behalf of Belgium at the 2023 Academy Awards. Dhont’s first feature, “Girl,” won both the Caméra d’Or and Queer Palm at Cannes 2018.
Sales are repped by The Match Factory.
“Dernsie: The Amazing Life of Bruce Dern”
Synopsis: “Dernsie” is an intimate portrait of Bruce Dern—tireless, uncompromising, and one of the last living legends of his generation—whose endurance has shaped both a turbulent life and one of Hollywood’s most enduring careers. A relentless runner on and off screen, Dern has outlasted the very industry that defined him.
Directed by Mike Mendez. Written by Ben Epstein. Starring Bruce Dern, Laura Dern, Quentin Tarantino, Alexander Payne.
Buzz factor: This documentary goes into the life of acclaimed Oscar-nominated actor Bruce Dern and his long-spanning career. The film marks the documentary debut of horror filmmaker Mike Mendez.
Sales are repped by UTA.
“Diamond”
Synopsis: A contemporary Noir with period sensibilities set in Los Angeles. Our Protagonist, Joe Diamond, is a man out of time, an urban legend with an emotional traumatic past. He has the uncanny ability to solve crimes, that even the LAPD cannot. Armed only with the savvy and dry humor reminiscent of the gumshoe detectives of that genre. Diamond is a love letter to Los Angeles and a homage to the great noir films of past.
Directed by Andy Garcia. Written by Andy Garcia. Starring Andy Garcia, Vicky Krieps, Brendan Fraser, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Murray, Dustin Hoffman.
Buzz factor: This LA-based noir story will be the feature directorial debut from Andy Garcia, joined as the film’s lead by a star-studded cast.
Sales are repped by CAA Media Finance.
“The End of It”
Synopsis: In a future where death is optional, Claire, a 250-year-old artist,
decides she’s ready to die. As she plans to turn her death into one last artistic expression, she confronts what it truly means to live.
Directed by Maria Martínez Bayona. Written by Maria Martínez Bayona. Starring Rebecca Hall, Noomi Rapace, Gael Garcia Bernal, Beanie Feldstein.
Buzz factor: Marking the arrival of new filmmaking voice Maria Martínez Bayona, “The End of It” features an acclaimed cast with an intriguing, high concept sci-fi premise.
Sales are repped by Bankside.
“Karma”
Synopsis: In a village of northern Spain, Jeanne tries to rebuild her life with Daniel, who knows nothing about her troubled past. One day, Mateo, Jeanne’s six-year-old godson, mysteriously disappears… In order to escape the police, who instantly suspect her, Jeanne flees to France and hides out in the community where she grew up, led by Marc. Refusing to believe that the woman he loves is guilty, Daniel will do everything in his power to find her before the police do.
Directed by Guillaume Canet. Written by Guillaume Canet, Simon Jacquet. Starring Marion Cotillard, Denis Ménochet, Leonardo Sbaragli.
Buzz factor: Guillaume Canet and Marion Cotillard have a long history of collaborations together, acting against each other in 2003’s “Love Me If You Dare.” This will be the sixth time Canet has directed Cotillard, a streak that started with 2010’s “Little White Lies.” They were romantic partners for 18 years, separating in 2025, and have two children together.
Sales are repped by Pathé.
“The Man I Love”
Synopsis: Late 1980s, New York. Jimmy George, a charismatic Downtown performer, rebels against his own mortality by throwing himself into a new role, a reckless affair, and the embrace of his creative community
Directed by Ira Sachs. Written by Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias. Starring Rami Malek, Tom Sturridge, Luther Ford, Rebecca Hall, Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
Buzz factor: Acclaimed filmmaker Ira Sachs returns after his 2025 two-hander “Peter Hujar’s Day,” which led nominations at the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards. This time, Sachs delivers a fantasy musical with a handful of big-name stars.
Sales are repped by MK2 Films.
“Parallel Tales”
Synopsis: In search of inspiration for her new novel, Sylvie spies on her neighbors across the street. When she hires young Adam to help her with her daily routine, she has no idea that he will turn her life and her work upside down, until the fiction she had imagined surpasses the reality of them all.
Directed by Asghar Farhadi. Written by Asghar Farhadi. Starring Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney, Adam Bessa, Catherine Deneuve.
Buzz factor: “Parallel Tales” marks the first feature from Asghar Farhadi, the acclaimed Iranian filmmaker behind “A Separation,” since 2021’s “A Hero.”
Sales are repped by UTA.
“Tangles”
Synopsis: When Alzheimer’s begins to erase her mother’s vibrant personality, Sarah leaves her exciting life as an activist and artist in 90s San Francisco to return to her eccentric family in the conservative small town she recently fled. Initially confident she can manage the situation, she soon realizes she must accept the harsh, disorienting reality of the disease to become the daughter her family needs.
Directed by Leah Nelson. Written by Sarah Leavitt, Trev Renney, Leah Nelson. Starring Julia Louis Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Seth Rogen, Abbi Jacobson, Sarah Silverman, Bowen Yang, Wanda Sykes, Samira Wiley, Beanie Feldstein.
Buzz factor: Leah Nelson’s feature debut adapts Sarah Leavitt’s acclaimed graphic memoir “Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer’s, My Mother, and Me.” The animated feature boasts a cast of big-name talent.
Sales are repped by UTA.
