Two Weeks That Shape World Cinema
Updated: 1 day ago
By Julie Sisk | May 7, 2026 Cannes begins next week.
And for the next two weeks, a small stretch of beach on the French Riviera becomes the center of the film world.
It’s easy to imagine Cannes as red carpets and premieres. And yes, of course, those moments exist—the flash of cameras, the pause at the top of the steps, the feeling that something important is about to happen.
But that’s not really Cannes. It's just a part of it.
To me, Cannes is a conversation.
It’s a place where films are not just shown, but launched—where careers begin, where directions shift, where a single screening can change the trajectory of a filmmaker’s life. A lifetime achievement award — the Honorary Palme d’Or can mean everything. I saw Harrison Ford cry when he received his Honorary Palme a few years ago.
It’s where producers, directors, financiers, journalists, and programmers all converge, not just to celebrate cinema, but to shape what comes next.
For a few weeks each year, this is where decisions are made about what stories the world will see.
And the most meaningful moments rarely happen as expected. They happen in passing.Over coffee.At a late dinner that turns into something else entirely.In the space between screenings.
After 37 years at Cannes, I’ve seen the beginning of careers and the culmination of them. I’ve watched unknown filmmakers arrive and leave transformed. I’ve watched legends take their final bows.
What’s striking is not just the scale of it—but also the intimacy.
Because if you’re truly inside it, Cannes doesn’t feel like a spectacle. It feels like being part of something in motion.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll share more from inside the festival—the rhythms, the rituals, and the moments that don’t make the headlines but define the experience.
And if Cannes has ever been on your mind, this is the time to start thinking about it.
See you in Cannes, |
– Julie
