Cannes 26

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.

Among the 19 features and shorts selected for Cannes Directors Fortnight 2026 are five documentaries. These include Thanks for Coming, the final instalment of Alain Cavalier’s ongoing filmed diary. “We are delighted by the significant presence of documentaries (3 features and 2 shorts)…showcasing highly distinctive works that demonstrate the exceptional richness and vitality of [the form],” comments Artistic Director Julien Rejl.

During the European Film Promotion event, Dutch doc producer Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen will be presenting Willemiek Kluijfhout’s new doc project The Woman Who Made Van Gogh Famous, which tells the story of Jo van Gogh-Bonger, Vincent’s sister-in-law who changed art history by safeguarding his legacy after his death. “It's a brilliant story that needs to be told and it stands for so many more stories that are not in the history books,” says van Leeuwen. “Without her, nobody would know of Van Gogh.”

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.”

The Docs-in-Progress program partners with institutions from around the world to exhibit carefully selected works at final stages of production and which are looking to hit the circuit within the coming weeks or months. Each of the eight showcases features four projects, presented in the form of a live pitch and a 10-minute excerpt of the rough-cut, designed to catch the attention of decision-makers, festival programmers, and sales agents. Cannes Docs runs 14-19 May 2026.

The Vienna-based outfit has picked up the debut film for world sales following its world premiere at Hot Docs & European premiere at Visions Du Réel 2026. The film follows Eka, one of the last remaining 'bissu', the spiritual leaders of the Bugis, one of the largest ethnic groups in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. A bissu is a recognised as a separate gender that is believed to embody both masculine and feminine souls, and which once held a special place in society and religious beliefs.

Pegah Ahangarani’s Rehearsals For A Revolution, directed by Pegah Ahangarani, was handed May 22 the L’Œil d’or, the main doc award at Cannes 2026. “This film allows us to enter the intricate and complex reality of contemporary Iran through a braiding of personal, historical, and poetic cinema,” the jury said. Alexander Murphy received a Special Mention for Tin Castle.

The section features docs on cinema and its history, highlighting major figures such as Bruce Dern, David Lean, Vittorio De Sica, and Chris Marker, as well as Mark Cousins’ latest episode in his continuing series on the history of documentary filmmaking, this time focusing on the 1970s. These films will compete for the L’Œil d’Or award presented during the awards ceremony of the 79th Festival de Cannes. All doc selections…

Christophe Dimitri Réveille’s partly-animated new feature doc tells the remarkable story of three of Che Guevara’s trusted followers who made a remarkable 2600-mile trek to safety after Che’s execution in Bolivia. Réveille, 48, has an intriguing background for a documentary maker. He’s an actor and acting coach. “What’s the connection between an acting coach in New York and the survivors of Che Guevara?” he muses to BDE. “It’s that they were hiding in the shadows of well-known people.”