Hollywood Movies Largely Sat Out Cannes This Year. Does the Festival Need Them?

May 26, 2026 7:00am PT Hollywood Movies Largely Sat Out Cannes This Year. Does the Festival Need Them?

A reduced American presence made for a Cannes lineup with plenty of Euro-arthouse highlights, but opportunities for increased risk and diversity were missed.

By Guy Lodge

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Guy Lodge

Film Critic

@guylodge

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Like most major film festivals, Cannes tends to be something of a choose-your-own-adventure affair: Any two people’s perspectives of the fest are likely to vary wildly depending on their professional remit or personal inclination. A critic watching upwards of 40 films over the 12 days is not having the same experience as an executive lining up more meetings than screenings; even for those festivalgoers primarily there for the movies, someone laser-focused on the Competition is on a whole other beat from someone sniffing out discoveries in the sidebars.

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