AceShowbiz - The 2026 edition of the Cannes Critics' Week, an esteemed sidebar to the Cannes Film Festival, will showcase seven films directed by first- and second-time filmmakers, according to an announcement made by Critics' Week organizers on Monday.

Continuing the trend seen in the official Cannes selection revealed last week, the Critics' Week lineup notably excludes any films from the United States. None of the seven competition films or the four special screenings represent U.S. directors. Instead, the program presents a broad international presence spanning nearly 20 countries, with France maintaining a strong representation similar to the main festival lineup.

The sidebar will open with In Waves, an animated feature by Vietnamese director Phuong Mai Nguyen, marking the first time an animated film will inaugurate Critics' Week. The closing film will be Felix de Givry's Adieu monde cruel, also a debut feature.

Both the opening and closing titles come from first-time directors, highlighting the section's commitment to new voices. Additional first-time filmmakers in competition include Sara Ishaq, Zou Jing, Bruno Santamaria Razo, Julien Gaspar-Oliveri, and Pierre Le Gall. The Critics' Week celebrates its 65th year as the oldest independent sidebar of Cannes, historically known for launching the careers of celebrated filmmakers such as Guillermo del Toro, Julia Ducournau, Bernardo Bertolucci, Jacques Audiard, Ken Loach, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

Last year’s Critics' Week featured notable films like Left-Handed Girl by Shih-Ching Tsou, which was shortlisted for the Oscars as Taiwan's international entry, as well as the Dutch Oscar submission Reedland by Sven Bresser and the César Award-winning Nino by Pauline Loques.

Innovations for this year include a €4,000 prize funded by Sony for the Discovery Prize for Short Film winner, and a partnership involving the Institut français, Critics' Week, and the Marché du Film to host conferences, panels, and workshops aimed at fostering industry dialogue and talent development.

The 2026 Critics' Week will commence on May 13, the day following the official Cannes opening, and continue until May 21. The program will precede the announcement of the Directors Fortnight lineup, another major independent sidebar, scheduled for Tuesday.

The official lineup is as follows:

Opening film: In Waves, directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen

Competition films:

• A Girl Unknown, Zou Jing
• The Station, Sara Ishaq
• Dua, Blerta Basholli
• Seis meses en el edificio rosa con azul, Bruno Santamaria Razo
• La Gradiva, Marine Atlan
• Tin Castle, Alexander Murphy
• Viva, Aina Clotet

Closing film: Adieu monde cruel, Felix de Givry

Special screenings:

• Stonewall, Julien Gaspar-Oliveri
• Flesh and Fuel, Pierre Le Gall

This year’s Critics' Week lineup confirms the festival’s dedication to highlighting emerging international talent, while reflecting a noticeable absence of U.S. films in both the main and sidebar selections.