FIPRESCI Jury at the Cannes Film Festival 2026

The FIPRESCI jury returns to the Cannes Film Festival with its traditional role of recognising outstanding achievements across the festival’s key sections.

As in previous years, the jury will present three awards: one to a film in the Main Competition, one to a film in the Un Certain Regard section, and a third to a debut feature selected from the parallel sections, Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week. This scope reflects FIPRESCI’s commitment to both established auteurs and emerging voices in contemporary cinema.

The 2026 jury is presided over by Pamela Jahn (UK) and brings together critics from across the globe:
Renaud Baronian (France), Elvira Del Guercio (Italy), Thierry Méranger (France), Ivonete Medianeira Pinto (Brazil), Pouya Aghelizadeh (Iran), Edin Čusto (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Tilda Sixue Li (China), and Mohamed Allal (Algeria).

Beyond its jury activities, FIPRESCI will also take part in the festival’s professional programme. On May 15, the Egyptian Pavilion will host a roundtable featuring FIPRESCI speakers titled The State of Critique Today, in the Arab World & Beyond. The discussion will address the evolving landscape of film criticism in the MENA region and internationally, examining how the field responds to economic, digital, and cultural pressures, and questioning its audiences, functions, and accessibility.

The FIPRESCI Award Ceremony is scheduled for May 23 at 15:30 at Les Ambassadeurs, within the Palais des Festivals.

©FIPRESCI 2026