Fjord by Cristian Mungiu and queer films have a big moment at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
Romanian director Cristian Mungiu took home the biggest award at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, which wrapped on May 23. The jury, chaired by South Korean director Park Chan-wook, awarded Mungiu the second Palme d’Or of his career for his societal drama Fjord.
Queer productions and cross-border films also gained momentum, receiving some of the most anticipated awards of the two-week event.
Mungiu Explores Conflict in Fjord
Not a stranger to the festival’s official selection, Mungiu was awarded the Palm d’Or almost 20 years after receiving his first Palm d’Or for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.
A critique of radicalization and societal division across the world, Fjord follows two families of conflicting beliefs as they engage in court drama over their differing opinions on children’s education. Starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, the film is broadly inspired by cases where progressive and traditional sectors clash over values.
“Fjord reflects my concerns regarding the changes that have transformed the world in the era of globalization, migration, the democratization of freedom of expression, and post-truth perspectives—all themes I have already explored in R.M.N. and Traffic,” explains Mungiu on the film’s press dossier. “In a sense, our personal opinions have become radicalized and have ultimately led to diametrically opposed views of society and fostered the resurgence of extremism in public life.”
Neon Continues its Streak at Cannes
Mungiu’s win not only expands his impressive resumé—which features recognitions and awards from a myriad of industry organizations—but also cements his reputation as one of the most prolific filmmakers of his generation.
In addition to his Palme d’Or win in 2007, the Romanian director has received various awards at Cannes, including Best Screenplay for Beyond the Hills in 2012. The same film earned Cristina Flutur and Cosmina Stratan the Best Actress award. In 2026, Mungiu’s drama Graduatio won the award for Best Director. With his most recent recognition, Mungiu becomes the 10th filmmaker in Cannes history to win two Palmes d’Or.
Fjord also makes history as the seventh Palme d’Or winner in a row to have been picked by Neon for distribution, ahead of their Cannes wins. The company previously acquired the rights to Academy Award-winning films Parasite and Anora.
The Winners
The jury, featuring renowned names in international cinema such as Demi Moore, Ruth Negga, Chloé Zhao and Diego Céspedes, awarded the Grand Prix to Minotaure by Andreï Zviaguintsev. Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto took the award for Best Actress for their portrayal of Marie-Lou and Mari in Soudain by Hamaguchi Ryusuke
Das Geträumte Abenteuer (The Dreamed Adventure) by director Valeska Grisebach won the Jury Prize. The co-production between France, Japan, Germany and Belgium follows the story of an archeologist working in a border town in Bulgaria as she reconnects with an old acquaintance and realizes the dangers and criminal ties threatening her surroundings.
Queer cinema had a big moment at Cannes
Responding to the global interest in LGBTQIA+ storytelling, various queer stories and actors stepped into the spotlight with poignant stories and performances.
Co-stars Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne received the award for Best Actor. Macchia and Campagne star in Lukas Dhont’s Coward, a story about two young soldiers on the frontlines during World War I. The previous day, Coward won the Prix du Cinéma Positif (Positive Cinema Prize), in recognition of the film’s exploration of male emotions and experiences.
Meanwhile, Spanish directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (nicknamed Los Javis) took home one of the joint Best Director awards for their queer film, La Bola Negra. Based on an unfinished work by Federico García Lorca and Alberto Conejero’s theatre piece, The Dark Stone, La Bola Negra explores the lives of three men, deeply connected by their history and sexuality, across three different eras.
In the festival’s parallel selection, Un Certain Regard, Abinash Bikram Shah’s Elephants In The Fog won the Jury Prize, becoming the first Nepali film recognized in the category. Described as a vindicating tribute to trans women and chosen families, Elephants In The Fog features a full queer cast, including LGTBIQA+ activist Pushpa Thing Lama, Dol Bahadur Sharma, Jasmin Bishwokarma, Aashant Sharma, Sanjay Gupta, Aliz Ghimire and Deepika Yadav.
For a full dive into the 79th Cannes Film Festival winners, see the full list below:
Feature Films
Palme d’Or: Fjord directed by Cristian Mungiu
Grand Prix: Minotaure directed by Andreï Zviaguintsev
Jury Prize: Das Geträumte Abenteuer directed by Valeska Grisebach
Best Director: Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi for La Bola Negra – Pawel Pawlikowski for Fatherland
Best Screenplay: Emmanuel Marre for Notre Salut
Performance by an Actress: Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto in Soudain, directed by Hamaguchi Ryusuke
Performance by an Actor: Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne in Coward, directed by Lukas Dhont
Short Films
Palme d’Or: Para Los Contrincantes directed by Federico Luis
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard Prize: Everytime directed by Sandra Wollner
Jury Prize: Elephants In The Fog directed by Abinash Bikram Shah (1st Film)
Special Jury Prize: Iron Boy directed by Louis Clichy
Best Actor: Bradley Fiomona Dembeasset in Congo Boy, directed by Rafiki FarialaMarina De Tavira, Daniela
Best Actresses: Marín Navarro, Mariangel Villegas in Siempre Soy Tu Animal Materno directed by Valentina Maurel
Caméra d’Or
Caméra d’Or Prize: Ben’imana directed by Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo – Un Certain Regard
La Cinef
First Prize: Laser-Gato (Laser-Cat) directed by Lucas Acher NYU, USA
Second Prize: Silent Voices directed by Nadine Misong Jin, Columbia University, USA
Joint Third Prize: Aldrig Nok (Never Enough) directed by Julius Lagoutte Larsen La Fémis, France – Growing Stones, Flying Papers directed by Roozbeh Gezerseh & Soraya Shamsi Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf, Germany
