Cristian Mungiu earned his second Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday as 'Fjord' secured Neon its seventh consecutive top prize at the event.
Consistent Success for Neon
The U.S. distributor Neon has turned the Cannes record books upside down with its winning streak. Ahead of the festival, Neon secured deals for six competition titles: 'All of a Sudden,' 'Fjord,' 'Hope,' 'Paper Tiger,' 'Sheep in the Box,' and 'The Unknown.' This provided ample opportunities to maintain its winning run that began with Bong Joon Ho’s 'Parasite' in 2019 and included films like Julia Ducournau’s 'Titane' and Ruben Östlund’s 'Triangle of Sadness.'
Mungiu's New Horizons
'Fjord' marks a shift for Mungiu, being his first film shot in English and Norwegian. Mungiu, who first won the Palme in 2007 for '4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,' has made a film that resonates with themes of globalization and cultural divides, according to critic Guy Lodge.
Cannes 2026 Highlights
The Cannes competition jury, led by South Korean director Park Chan-wook and including members like Chloe Zhao and Demi Moore, saw Tilda Swinton present the Palme d’Or. Lukas Dhont’s 'Coward' won the best actor prize for Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne, while best actress was split between Virginie Efira and Japan’s Okamoto Tao for 'All of a Sudden.' Emmanuel Marre received best screenplay for 'A Man of His Time.'
Other Notable Winners
The Grand Prix went to Andrey Zvyagintsev’s 'Minotaur,' and the jury prize was awarded to Valeska Grisebach’s 'The Dreamed Adventure.' Best director was shared between Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi for 'The Black Ball' and Pawel Pawlikowski for 'Fatherland.' Marie Clémentine Dusabejambo took the Camera d’Or for 'Ben’Imana,' and Federico Luis won the short film Palme d’Or for 'For the Opponents.'
Barbra Streisand received an honorary Palme d’Or, addressing the audience via video due to a knee injury. Isabelle Huppert presented the award.
Source: https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/neon-seventh-palme-dor-fjord-cannes-1236757761/
