Cannes Film Festival 2026 Results: Cristian Mungiu's 'Fjord' Takes Palme d'Or — And the Full Winners List

The 79th Cannes Film Festival Just Wrapped — Here's Everything You Need to Know

The 2026 Cannes Film Festival came to a dramatic close on Saturday, May 23, and the results delivered surprises, ties, and one unforgettable political moment. Romanian director Cristian Mungiu won his second Palme d'Or for "Fjord," a Norway-set drama starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve — making him only the tenth filmmaker in history to win the top prize twice. (His first was for 2007's "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.")

But the awards ceremony didn't stop there. From shared acting prizes to an anti-war speech directed at Vladimir Putin, the 79th edition was anything but predictable. Here's the complete breakdown.

The Palme d'Or: 'Fjord' and Neon's Unbelievable Seven-Year Streak

"Fjord" tells the story of a Romanian family relocating to a Norwegian village, where cultural clashes around tradition, state authority, and modern ideas of care and belonging take center stage. Mungiu accepted the award with a message about tolerance, calling the film "a plea for tolerance, inclusion and empathy" and urging audiences to "double-check your beliefs every now and then."

The win also extends an almost absurd streak for distributor Neon: they've now backed the Palme d'Or winner for seven consecutive years. That run includes "Parasite" (2019), "Titane" (2021), "Triangle of Sadness" (2022), "Anatomy of a Fall" (2023), "Anora" (2024), "It Was Just an Accident" (2025), and now "Fjord." At this point, it's less of a coincidence and more of a distribution strategy with frightening accuracy.

Grand Prix: Andrey Zvyagintsev's 'Minotaur' Delivers the Night's Most Powerful Moment

Runner-up prize went to Andrey Zvyagintsev for "Minotaur," a Russian drama set against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. But it was his acceptance speech that stole the show — he addressed Vladimir Putin directly: "Mr. President of the Russian Federation, please put an end to this bloodshed. The whole world is waiting for you to do so."

It was the kind of moment that reminded everyone why Cannes has always been more than just a movie festival — it's a stage where cinema and global politics collide.

Ties Everywhere: Shared Director, Actor, and Actress Awards

Jury president Park Chan-wook led a star-studded panel including Demi Moore, Ruth Negga, Stellan Skarsgård, Chloé Zhao, Laura Wandel, Paul Laverty, Diego Céspedes, and Isaach De Bankolé. And this year's jury clearly preferred sharing the wealth.

The Best Director prize was split between two films:

• Paweł Pawlikowski for "Fatherland" (who previously won Best Director at Cannes for "Cold War" in 2018)
• Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (aka Los Javis) for "The Black Ball" ("La Bola Negra")

Best Actor went jointly to Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne for their roles as Belgian WWI soldiers who fall in love in Lukas Dhont's "Coward."

Best Actress was shared by Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, whose conversations drive Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "All of a Sudden."

Other Major Winners

• Best Screenplay: Emmanuel Marre for "A Man of His Time" — who revealed he threw out his own script and made the entire film through controlled improvisation
• Jury Prize (3rd place): Valeska Grisebach for "The Dreamed Adventure"
• Camera d'Or (Best First Film): Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo for "Ben'Imana"
• Honorary Palme d'Or: Barbra Streisand (accepted via video due to a knee injury; Isabelle Huppert honored her on stage)

Notable Films That Didn't Win

Some heavy hitters left empty-handed, including Pedro Almodóvar's "Bitter Christmas," James Gray's "Paper Tiger" (marking Gray's fifth Cannes competition film to go home without a prize), and Asghar Farhadi's "Parallel Tales."

The Bottom Line

The 2026 Cannes Film Festival proved once again that it's the world's most important stage for auteur cinema. With Mungiu making history, Zvyagintsev delivering the night's most urgent message, and a jury unafraid of ties and shared honors, this edition felt both classic Cannes and very much of the moment. If you're keeping track of next year's must-see films, put "Fjord," "Minotaur," and "All of a Sudden" at the very top of your list.