When John Travolta walked onto the Cannes stage on May 15, he thought he was simply there to premiere his first film as a director. Then the festival surprised him with one of cinema's highest honors, and the star of "Saturday Night Fever" and "Pulp Fiction" began to cry. "This is beyond the Oscar," he said.
It was one of many emotional moments at the Festival de Cannes, which runs from May 12 to May 23, 2026. On Saturday evening, the jury will announce the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, awarded to the best of the twenty-two films in competition.
South Korean director Park Chan-wook leads the jury. He is the first South Korean to direct the Cannes competition jury. Around him sit eight other jurors, including actress Demi Moore and director Chloé Zhao.
The festival began with Peter Jackson, director of the "Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" trilogies, receiving an honorary Palme d'Or. Elijah Wood, who played Frodo in Jackson's films, presented the award to his old director.
Travolta's surprise came before the premiere of "Propeller One-Way Night Coach," his directorial debut based on a children's book he wrote in 1997. The film features his daughter, Ella Bleu Travolta.
Barbra Streisand was scheduled to receive an honorary Palme d'Or at the closing ceremony, which would have been her first appearance at Cannes in over sixty years. However, she withdrew because of a knee injury. Isabelle Huppert will offer a tribute to Streisand's career instead.
On May 17, South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin's "Hope" premiered in the main competition. This science-fiction action film is set near the Korean Demilitarized Zone and features both Korean and international stars, including Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. The premiere drew a long standing ovation.
Of the twenty-two films in competition, five were directed by women. Now the festival waits for Saturday's closing ceremony, when the Palme d'Or winner will finally be announced.