Cannes 2026 shines a light on Arab filmmakers and powerful new cinema

The 2026 Cannes Film Festival is bringing a strong MENA presence to the Croisette, with filmmakers from Morocco, Palestine and Egypt-France landing coveted spots across the Competition and Un Certain Regard line-up.

Among the biggest names in Competition is Egyptian-French filmmaker Arthur Harari, whose latest film The Unknown marks his return to Cannes as a director. Harari, who won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay alongside Justine Triet for Anatomy of a Fall, previously screened Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle in Un Certain Regard in 2021.

Meanwhile, Moroccan director Laila Marrakchi heads to Un Certain Regard with La mas dulce. Marrakchi first made waves at Cannes in 2005 with Marock, and later directed Rock the Casbah and episodes of The Eddy. Her new feature follows two young Moroccan women who travel to southern Spain for strawberry-picking jobs, only to confront exploitation and harassment, and decided to speak out.

Also selected for Un Certain Regard is Palestinian filmmaker Rakan Mayasi with Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep, his debut feature. Born in Germany and based between Brussels and Beirut, Mayasi previously built a reputation through acclaimed short films. His latest story unfolds in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, centring on the disappearance of a young girl.

This year’s festival jury will be presided over by South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook, marking the first time a South Korean director has taken on the role at Cannes.

The 79th annual Cannes Film Festival will take place from 12 to 23 May 2026.