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79th edition
Festival de Cannes
Cannes, France
May 12-23, 2026
12 days
About Festival de Cannes
The Festival de Cannes is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, held annually in May in Cannes, France, since 1946. While primarily associated with fiction cinema, the festival hosts a dedicated documentary strand through the L'Oeil d'Or (Golden Eye) award. Documentaries can compete across the Official Selection, Un Certain Regard, Special Screenings, Directors' Fortnight and Critics' Week. The festival also incorporates the Marché du Film, one of the largest film markets in the world.
Festival details
Location
Cannes, France
Scope
International
Focus
Feature Film · Documentary · Short Film
Duration
12 days
Founded
1946
Awards
Palme d'Or
Top prize of the main Competition; open to fiction and non-fiction features.
L'Oeil d'Or (Golden Eye)
Documentary prize recognizing the best documentary film across all official Cannes sections.
Grand Prix
Second-highest award given in the main Competition.
Un Certain Regard Award
Top prize of the Un Certain Regard section, regularly includes documentary work.
Camera d'Or
Award for best first feature film across all Cannes sections.
Special programs
Official Competition
Main selection competing for the Palme d'Or.
Un Certain Regard
Parallel competitive section for original, daring works including documentaries.
Special Screenings
Out-of-competition program that frequently features high-profile documentaries.
Cannes Classics
Restored classics and documentaries about cinema.
Marché du Film
One of the world's largest film markets with Doc Day and industry events.
For filmmakers
Screening eligibility
Films must have been produced in the 12 months preceding the festival and must not have been screened outside their country of origin or on the internet.
Accepted formats
Feature, Short, Documentary, Fiction
Best Documentary Films
Award-Winning Documentaries
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