^{Credit: Festival de Cannes 2026}

Animation has had a presence at the Cannes Film Festival since its inaugural year in 1946, when Disney’s Make Mine Music competed for the Grand Prix. Throughout the past few years, in particular, Cannes has catapulted several animated features into the Oscar conversation, including Flow, Arco, and Little Amélie or the Character of Rain. 2026 is set to be another banner year, with nine animated features playing at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. Here’s a breakdown of every animated feature coming to Cannes.

^{Credit: Blaise (KG Productions)}

Blaise, Dir. Dimitri Planchon & Jean-Paul Guigue - ACID Section

Based on the comics published by Glénat Editions, Blaise centers on the titular teenage introvert, who comes from a family of people pleasers. Blaise is also content going with the flow until he meets a girl named Josephine, compelling him to blow up the status quo. Produced by KG Productions, the film comes from directors Jean-Paul Guigue and Dimitri Planchon, the latter of whom created the original comic. Planchon and Guigue previously collaborated on the Blaise animated series, which premiered in 2016. Multiple actors from the aforementioned series will return for the film, including Léa Drucker and Jacques Gamblin.

^{Credit: Silex Films, Anonymous Content, France 3 Cinema}

In Waves, Dir. Phuong Mai Nguyen - Critics' Week

Director Phuong Mai Nguyen previously made the Oscar-shortlisted My Home (Chez Moi). Her feature directorial debut stands out as the first animated film to kick off Critics’ Week at Cannes. Silex Films, Anonymous Content, France 3 Cinema, and Panique! produce this adaptation of AJ Dungo’s autobiographical graphic novel. The story centers on the star-crossed romance between surfer Kristen and skateboarder/artist AJ. When an illness catches the young couple off guard, a once hopeful future together is slowly yet surely washed away. AJ and Kristen make the most of the time they have left, finding solace in waves.

^{Credit: Iron Boy (Eddy Cinéma, Beside Productions, France 3 Cinéma, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma)}

Iron Boy (Le Corset), Dir. Louis Clichy - Un Certain Regard

Competing in the Un Certain Regard section, Iron Boy is the latest feature from director Louis Clichy (Astérix: The Mansions of the Gods, Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion). Clichy’s animation credits also include American productions like Up and WALL-E. This coming-of-age story from Eddy Cinéma centers on 10-year-old Christophe, who must wear an iron corset to stand upright. Posture isn’t the only aspect of Christophe’s life that lacks balance. The film sees Christophe navigate family, friendship, and work on a struggling farm, while also developing a newfound independence through his growing passion for music.

^{Jim Queen and the Quest for Chloroqueer (Bobbypills uMedia)}

Jim Queen and the Quest for Chloroqueer, Dir. Nicolas Athane & Marco Nguyen - Midnight Screening

In this adult animated comedy, gay icon Jim faces the ultimate threat: a virus that transforms gay men into heterosexuals. Upon contracting this virus, the muscle-bound Jim seeks a cure, not just for himself, but for his entire community. Traveling by his side is Lucien, a young virgin who has yet to come out. Nicolas Athane and Marco Nguyen make their directorial debuts with Jim Queen. Both previously worked on The Rabbi’s Cat. Athane also served as a character animator on The Red Turtle, while Nguyen scored an Annie nomination for his character animation on The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales.

^{Credit: Lucy Lost (Xilam Animation)​​​​​​}

Lucy Lost, Dir. Olivier Clert - Family Screening

Xilam Animation, the studio behind the Oscar-nominated I Lost My Body, returns to Cannes with Lucy Lost. Drawing from Michael Morpurgo’s 2014 children’s novel, Lis­ten to the Moon, the film centers on a girl named Lucy struggling to remember her past. She seeks to unlock her memories with the help of a mysterious young girl named Milly. Initially considered as an eight-episode series, Lucy Lost instead developed into an animated feature. It marks the feature directorial debut of Olivier Clert (Klaus, The Little Prince, Little Amélie, The Lorax, Smallfoot). 

^{Credit: Tangles (Giant Ant)}

Tangles, Dir. Leah Nelson - Special Screening

Not to be confused with a certain Disney movie, Leah Nelson’s film is an adaptation of Sarah Leavitt’s graphic memoir, Tangles: A Story about Alzheimer's, My Mother and Me. As the novel's subtitle suggests, Tangles tells a personal story about a woman coming to terms with her mother's illness and the imperfections of her family. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Seth Rogen not only serve as producers, but also lead an all-star voice cast that includes Pamela Adlon, Bryan Cranston, Beanie Feldstein, Abbi Jacobson, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, Samira Wiley, and Bowen Yang. 

^{Credit: Vertiginous}

Vertiginous (Le Vertige), Dir. Quentin Dupieux - Directors' Fortnight

Absurdist Quentin ‘Mr. Oizo’ Dupieux is known for taking experimental swings with films like the horror comedy Rubber. He has two movies playing at Cannes: the live-action Full Phil and his animated feature debut, Vertiginous. Closing Directors’ Fortnight, Vertiginous utilizes motion capture. The style complements the plot, which sees the characters confront the reality that their entire world is a simulation. This may come as a shock to them, but not exactly to the outsiders looking in.

^{Credit: Viva Carmen!} 

Viva Carmen!, Dir. Sébastien Laudenbach  - Directors' Fortnight

Set against the backdrop of Seville, Sébastien Laudenbach’s third film serves as a modernized take on Georges Bizet’s opera, Carmen. Although The titular Carmen is full of life, death may be coming for her sooner than she thinks. A young man sets out to prevent this premonition from coming to fruition with some help from his friends. Laudenbach previously directed The Girl Without Hands and co-directed Chicken for Linda!. Viva Carmen! overflows with his signature style, defined by vibrant colors and characters who look like inhabitants of a painting.

^{Credit: We Are Aliens (Nothing New, MIYU Production)}

We Are Aliens, Dir. Kohei Kadowaki  - Directors' Fortnight

A Japanese/French co-production, We Are Aliens is from director Kohei Kadowaki, whose background includes the music video for "Yasashii Suisei" ("Gentle Comet"). His feature directorial debut tells the bittersweet story of two boys whose friendship is torn apart, following them over more than thirty years. Nothing New produced the film along with MIYU Production, the latter of which has handled the release of several Oscar-nominated animated shorts (Beautiful Men, Letter to a Pig, Wander to Wonder).

In addition to these nine films, five animated features will be previewed at Cannes’ Marché du Film: Vergine Keaton’s Bataille, Masashi Kawamura’s Hidari, Sofía Carrillo’s Insectario, Alain Gagnol’s Les chiens ne font pas des chats, and Takayuki Hirao’s Wasted Chef. This showcase is part of Cannes’ partnership with Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Speaking of which, In Waves, Iron Boy, Lucy Lost, Tangles, Viva Carman!, and We Are Aliens have all been announced for this year’s feature film competition at Annecy. This year’s Annecy lineup also includes Decorado (Dir. Alberto Vazquez), Nobody (Dir. Shui Yu), The Sunrise File (Dir. Rupert Wyatt and Émilie Phuong), Tana (Dir. Ji Zhao and Ke Er Zhu), and The Violinist (Dir. Ervin Han and Raúl Garcia).

The 79th Cannes Film Festival takes place from May 12–23, 2026.

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!