58th Directors’ Fortnight Reveals Lineup, Opens with Kantemir Balagov’s ‘Butterfly Jam’

Butterfly Jam by Kantemir Balagov will open the 58th edition of the Directors’ Fortnight (Quinzaine des cinéastes), taking place May 13-23, 2026.

The festival will present 19 feature films and 9 short films as part of the official selection. The festival said in a statement, “We are delighted by the significant presence of documentaries (3 features and 2 shorts) and animation (3 features and 2 shorts as well), showcasing highly distinctive works that demonstrate the exceptional richness and vitality of both forms.”

Titles include The Diary of a Chambermaid (Le Journal D’une Femme De Chambre) by Radu Jude, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning by Clio Barnard, and Once Upon a Time in Harlem by William Greaves & David Greaves.

Closing the festival is the animated film Le Vertige (Vertiginous) by Quentin Dupieux.

Feature Films

Butterfly Jam by Kantemir Balagov – Opening Film

Le Vertige (Vertiginous) by Quentin Dupieux – Animation – Closing Film

9 Temples to Heaven by Sompot Chidgasornpongse – First Feature Film

Atonement (L’apaisement) by Reed Van Dyk – First Feature Film

Carmen, L’oiseau Rebelle (Viva Carmen) by Sébastien Laudenbach – Animation

Clarissa by Arie Esiri & Chuko Esiri

Death Has No Master (La Muerte No Tiene Dueño) by Jorge Thielen Armand

Dora by July Jung

Double Freedom (La Libertad Doble) by Lisandro Alonso

L’espèce Explosive (Too Many Beasts) by Sarah Arnold – First Feature Film

Gabin by Maxence Voiseux – Documentary – First Feature Film

I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning by Clio Barnard

Le Journal D’une Femme De Chambre (The Diary of a Chambermaid) by Radu Jude

Low Expectations (Lave Forventninger) by Eivind Landsvik – First Feature Film

Merci D’être Venu (Thanks for Coming) by Alain Cavalier – Documentary

Once Upon a Time in Harlem by William Greaves & David Greaves – Documentary

La Perra by Dominga Sotomayor

Shana by Lila Pinell

We Are Aliens by Kohei Kadowaki – Animation – First Feature Film

Short Films

À La Recherche De L’oiseau Gris Aux Rayures Vertes (in Search of the Grey Bird With Green Stripes) by Saïd Hamich Benlarbi – Documentary

Daughters of the Late Colonel by Elizabeth Hobbs – Animation

Eri by Yano Honami – Animation

Free Eliza (Notes on an Anatomical Imperfection) by Alexandra Matheou

The Joyless Economy by Marjorie Conrad – Documentary

Madrugada by Sebastián Lojo

Nothing Happens After Your Absence (لا شيءَ يحدثُ بعدَ غيابِكَ) by Ibrahim Omar

Oh Boys by Antonio Donato

Pithead by Wannes Vanspauwen & Pol De Plecker