How the Cannes Film Festival works: Palme d’Or, sections and juries
Cannes is the world's most watched film festival, but its structure confuses many viewers. What the Official Selection is, how films get in, which prizes the jury must award, what the Caméra d'Or is, and where African films fit in.
The Cannes Film Festival is built around its Official Selection, a set of sections chosen by the festival’s own selection committee. The best known is the Competition, where a jury awards the Palme d’Or. Around it sit Un Certain Regard, Cannes Première, out-of-competition and special screenings, and two independent parallel sections, the Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week. The next edition runs from 11 to 22 May 2027.
What we know
- FACT: The Official Selection includes the opening and closing films, the Competition, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Première and special screenings, according to the festival’s regulations.
- FACT: Only the festival’s Selection Committee decides which films are invited and in which section.
- FACT: The Competition jury must award seven prizes, led by the Palme d’Or.
- FACT: The Caméra d’Or is an award, not a section. It goes to the best first feature across the Official Selection, Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week.
- REPORTED: Akinola Davies Jr’s My Father’s Shadow was described in 2025 as the first Nigerian film selected for the Official Selection. That claim came from its production company, and the festival did not formally confirm it.
The sections, explained
| Section | What it is |
|---|---|
| Competition | The main event; films compete for the Palme d’Or and six other jury prizes |
| Un Certain Regard | Official Selection section highlighting distinctive voices, often newer filmmakers, with its own jury |
| Cannes Première | Official Selection showcase for new work, outside the competitive sections |
| Out of Competition and special screenings | Big premieres, documentaries and events without prizes |
| La Cinef | Shorts and medium-length films from film schools; formerly called the Cinéfondation |
| Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week | Independent parallel sections with their own selection teams, not part of the Official Selection |
The distinction matters when a film is described as “going to Cannes”. Many films premiere in the parallel sections, which run alongside the festival but are separate from the Official Selection.
How a film gets in
Producers submit features through the festival’s online platform. The rules for the Official Selection include:
- the film must have been completed in the 12 months before the festival;
- it must not have been shown publicly outside its country of origin, at another international festival, or online;
- features must run longer than 60 minutes;
- Competition films must commit to a theatrical release in France.
For 2026, registration closed on 13 March and film delivery on 23 March. The festival listed a submission fee of €300 to €350 excluding VAT for a DCP, or €75 for a video file. Fees and dates change each year.
The prizes the jury must award
The festival’s regulations require the Competition jury to award:
- the Palme d’Or;
- the Grand Prix;
- Best Director;
- the Jury Prize;
- Best Screenplay;
- Best Actress;
- Best Actor.
A film can normally win only one of these. The exception is that, with the festival’s permission, the Screenplay Prize or the Jury Prize can be combined with an acting award. Only one tie is allowed, and never for the Palme d’Or. Films that win the Palme or the Grand Prix may not then compete at other international festivals.
What the Caméra d’Or is
The Caméra d’Or rewards the best first fiction feature of at least 60 minutes. Eligible films can come from the Official Selection, the Directors’ Fortnight or Critics’ Week. A separate jury of six chooses the winner, and the regulations say the prize cannot be shared.
African films at Cannes
Two recent milestones show how African cinema has moved closer to the festival’s centre:
- 2019: French-Senegalese director Mati Diop’s Atlantique, her first feature, played in Competition and won the Grand Prix.
- 2025: My Father’s Shadow, a UK-Nigerian drama by Akinola Davies Jr, screened in Un Certain Regard and received a special mention from the Caméra d’Or jury.
CNN reported that My Father’s Shadow was “understood to be” the first Nigerian film in the Official Selection. The claim came from its production company, Fatherland Productions, and festival director Thierry Frémaux said the festival would check its records. For more on Nigeria’s awards ambitions, see Nigeria’s Oscar entries explained and the history of Nollywood.
Cannes and the Oscars
A Cannes prize is not an Oscar nomination, but strong festival premieres often start a film’s awards campaign. Our guide to how Oscar voting works explains the next stage.
What to watch next
The 2027 festival runs from 11 to 22 May 2027. The festival usually announces the Official Selection in April, and the jury president is typically named early in the year.
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