Cannes 26

French director Tom Fontenille talks to Business Doc Europe about his deeply personal feature documentary A Secret Heart, world-premiering May 20, which chronicles both his father’s transition into a woman [Lilou) and Tom’s own journey of acceptance, together with his sister Manon. Tom remembers when his dad suggested to his son that he would prefer to be portrayed on camera as a woman, rather than a man. “It was on that day that the film was born and the shooting truly began,” Tom underlines.

At the May 19 close of Cannes Docs 2026, section head Pierre-Alexis Chevit hosted the Docs-in-Progress Awards Ceremony during which this year’s winners were announced. Over the past days, eight showcases of docs-in-progress from around the world were presented, totalling 33 new creative documentary projects. The big winner was Super Sila by Mohammed Alshareef [Palestine Showcase] which won both the IEFTA Award and the Al Jazeera Documentary Award. All awards…

At this year’s Doc Day, Academy Award-winning Ukrainian filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov and Deutsche Kinemathek artistic director Heleen Gerritsen offered highly thoughtful and sensitive reflections on the ethical and artistic dilemmas facing filmmakers working in conflict zones. “We are balancing on this thin line between being truthful and realistic and honest, and trying to be exciting,” said Chernov, adding: “The filmmaker who tries to tell a war story cannot cleanse it...It has to be terrifying.”

The winners of the Doc Alliance Award 2026 were announced May 19 during the Doc Day Lunch, held at the Marché du Film in Cannes, with The Case Against Space picking up the prize for Best Feature (€5,000) and Some of You Fucked Eva winning the award for Best Short Film (€3,000). This year’s jury brought together Wouter Jansen (CEO of Square Eyes), Maria Palacios Cruz (festival director of the Open City Documentary Festival), and film critic, filmmaker and producer Mark Peranson.

In her feature documentary, prominent filmmaker, actress and activist Pegah Ahangarani reflects on her turbulent experiences and those of her family in post-revolution Iran over the last 40 years. “International recognition is always enjoyable - but I am really, really aiming this film at my own people, the Iranian people,” she tells BDE. “Especially now because now they are in such darkness, such despair, I think they might need a small reminder of their own courage, their own persistence in this fight…I do hope they have the chance to see it.”

MIA (Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo) unveiled May 17 details of its 2026 edition running October 19 to 23 in Rome. “MIA is embarking on a transformation that will take it from a market built on highly distinctive vertical content segments to an integrated industry platform, capable of accompanying the entire audiovisual value chain in a circular way,” said Director Gaia Tridente.

Screening in Short Film Competition, For the Opponents follows Damián, a young boy Iiving in the tough neighbourhood of Tepito, who is chasing the great Mexican dream - to become a boxing champion. “His gaze moved me deeply. I couldn’t take my eyes off him from the moment he began warming up outside the ring, during the fight, or after it ended,” director Federico Luis explains the immediate fascination he felt when he first encountered his subject.

CIRCLE, the training initiative dedicated to women and gender-expansive filmmakers, announced May 18 at Cannes Docs the launch of CIRCLE Expanded Orbit: a new international programme focused on immersive storytelling and XR-based practices. The programme is co-organised with Onassis ONX, the Onassis Foundation’s global platform for art and advanced technologies. Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentarian Katerina Cizek appointed as Head of Studies.

Belgrade-based Neda Lukić, recently of Taskovski Films, announced May 18 the launch of Films Mundi, a new boutique world sales and distribution company focused on carefully curated creative documentaries. “I wanted to create a space for projects that resonate with me personally — where, beyond experience and strategy, I can also invest genuine care and heart,” Lukić told Business Doc Europe.

The Spanish Docs-in-Progress showcase featured four documentary projects at different stages of development, highlighting the diversity of contemporary Spanish non-fiction filmmaking through stories rooted in identity, environmental collapse, social control and collective healing. Organised with the support of ICEX, ICAA and Zinebi, the presentation took place on May 17 as part of the Marché du Film’s industry programme.