The Electric Kiss Opens 2026 Cannes Film Festival

Following a glamorous and star-studded “Montée des Marches” featuring international icons, the Opening Ceremony kicked off the 79th Cannes Film Festival with the screening of Pierre Salvadori’s The Electric Kiss.

©Festival de Cannes

Cannes Film Festival 2026 : On May 12, 2026, the red carpet of the 79th Cannes Film Festival unfolded its splendor and glamour to welcome The Electric Kiss (La Vénus Électrique) as its opening film. The Festival opens on a note of poetry and whimsy. Having made its world premiere at the legendary Grand Théâtre Lumière, Pierre Salvadori‘s new feature film was simultaneously screened throughout France, turning the evening into a true national celebration of cinema. Over 1,800 feature films were submitted for the Official Selection, with about twenty films competing in the Official Competition. The race for the Caméra d’Or brings together feature films from the Official Selection, Critics’ Week, and Directors’ Fortnight.

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An Opening Between Glamour and Shared Experience

The Competition Jury, presided over by South Korean director, screenwriter, and producer Park Chan-wook, was welcomed onto the stage of the Palais des Festivals’ Grand Théâtre Lumière by Franco-Malian actress Eye Haïdara (revealed in C’est la vie!). The Mistress of Ceremonies takes over the mantle from last year’s hosts Chiara Mastroianni, Camille Cottin, and Laurent Lafitte. The opening ceremony offered immediate immersion into the spirit of the Croisette. True to its DNA, the Festival here celebrates accessible arthouse cinema, capable of bringing together professionals and the general public alike. With this simultaneous broadcast in French cinemas, the event transcends the red carpet to invite itself across all of France, offering a rare and precious collective experience.

An International Jury

Joining the Jury President in selecting the various awards are American actress and producer Demi Moore, Irish-Ethiopian actress and producer Ruth Negga, Belgian director and screenwriter Laura Wandel, Chinese director and screenwriter Chloé Zhao, Chilean director and screenwriter Diego Céspedes, Ivorian-American actor Isaach De Bankolé, Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty, and Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård. The Jury will face the daunting task of awarding the various prizes and the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 films in Competition, following Jafar Panahi’s A Simple Accident, which received the award from Juliette Binoche’s Jury in 2025. The winners will be revealed on Saturday, May 23, during the Closing Ceremony, broadcast live by France Télévisions in France and by Brut. internationally.

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Peter Jackson, Honorary Palme d’Or

New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson was celebrated during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The director received an Honorary Palme d’Or to salute an exceptional career that has profoundly marked the history of contemporary cinema. Following major figures such as Agnès Varda, Jodie Foster, Meryl Streep, and last year’s honoree Robert De Niro, the Festival pays tribute to a creator who has successfully reconciled arthouse cinema with Hollywood spectacle, constantly pushing the boundaries of storytelling and technology.

Debby Moore ©YesICannes.com

A Long-Standing Relationship with Cannes

For Peter Jackson, this award holds a particularly symbolic dimension. The filmmaker notes that the Cannes Film Festival played a decisive role in his career. “Receiving the Honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes is one of the greatest moments of my career,” he shared. “Cannes was pivotal in my journey as a filmmaker. In 1988, I presented my first film at the Film Market, and then in 2001, we premiered a sequence from The Lord of the Rings.” Indeed, it was on May 13, 2001, that the Cannes audience discovered 26 minutes of never-before-seen footage from the trilogy inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s work. Initial skepticism quickly gave way to enthusiasm: the saga was to become a global phenomenon.

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A Romantic Tale at the Heart of the Roaring Twenties

With The Electric Kiss, Pierre Salvadori signs his 11th feature film and ventures into period drama for the first time. Set in Paris in 1928, amidst artistic effervescence, the film tells the story of Antoine, a painter lacking inspiration following the death of his wife, who believes he has reunited with her through a mysterious psychic. But behind this miracle hides Suzanne, a young carnival worker improvising séances… until feelings begin to blur the lines between lies and truth. A deliciously burlesque narrative, blending pretense, love, and a quest for meaning – themes dear to the filmmaker.

Peter Jackson ©YesICannes.com

An Exceptional Cast

To bring this fable to life, the director surrounded himself with a prestigious cast: Pio Marmaï, a loyal collaborator, Anaïs Demoustier, Gilles Lellouche, Vimala Pons, and Gustave Kervern. A lineup that perfectly embodies Salvadori’s singular universe, caught between sophisticated comedy and gentle melancholy.

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Cannes, a springboard for auteur cinema

Following Amélie Bonnin’s Partir un jour in 2025, Salvadori’s selection confirms the Festival’s commitment to highlighting ambitious, accessible, and deeply embodied works. With this opening, Cannes reaffirms its role as a beacon of world cinema, where stories take life before conquering the public. On May 12, all eyes were on the Croisette… and on this Electric Venus, which illuminated the big screen.

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The Ceremony in Cinemas

The screening of The Electric Kiss marks the start of twelve days of intense cinema, fascinating encounters, and artistic discoveries. The Opening Ceremony was broadcast live on France 2 and internationally on Brut., as well as in numerous cinemas across France. Thousands of spectators were thus able to experience this exceptional evening – the Ceremony and the opening film – broadcast live thanks to an operation initiated by the Cannes Film Festival in partnership with France Télévisions, the National Federation of French Cinemas, and Brut. Each year, more and more theaters and exhibitors take part in this initiative designed to share the first night of this great celebration of cinema with the French public.