Romanian director Cristian Mungiu won his second Palme d’Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival for 'Fjord,' his English-language debut. The film follows a religious Romanian couple, played by Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan, who relocate to Norway and face child abuse allegations. Mungiu previously won the Palme in 2007 for '4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,' making him the 10th director in history to win the festival’s top prize twice.

The 79th Cannes festival saw a quieter atmosphere, with fewer Hollywood stars and underwhelming returns from several acclaimed directors. The Grand Prix went to Andrey Zvyagintsev’s 'Minotaur,' a dark satire on corruption in Russia, while Valeska Grisebach’s 'The Dreamed Adventure' received the Jury Prize. Neon, the US distributor, acquired 'Fjord' — marking their seventh consecutive year securing the Palme-winning film.

Park Chan-wook led the jury, joined by Demi Moore, Stellan Skarsgård, Chloé Zhao, and Paul Laverty. Honorary Palme d’Ors were awarded to Barbra Streisand, Peter Jackson, and John Travolta. Streisand, unable to attend due to a knee injury, sent a video message praising cinema’s power to unite. Other awards honored emerging talent across Cannes’ sidebar sections, including wins in Un Certain Regard, Critics Week, and Directors’ Fortnight.