Cannes Parallel Section ACID Announces Its 2026 Film Selection

ACID Unveils Lineup for 2026 Cannes Film Festival

The ACID collective, recognized for spotlighting emerging filmmakers and their works, has announced its lineup for the 2026 edition of the Cannes parallel section. This year’s selection features nine independent productions, opening with the French film Born Under A Bad Star (Mauvaise Étoile).

Set in a sweltering suburban area in southern France, the film follows a day in the life of a young woman named Kiki, who is trapped in an abusive relationship. This marks the directorial debut of Lola Cambourieu and Yann Berlier, who previously gained recognition for their short films, The Lost Children (Les Enfants Perdus) and Bachelorette Party (Enterrement de vie de jeune fille).

“The film takes the risk of showing us something in a rather atypical way: the issue of control… but without ever offering any potentially explanatory commentary on it. It never tries to hold our hand,” comments Pauline Ginot, director of France’s Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema (l’ACID).

Other noteworthy fiction features in the lineup include Rewind Barcelona (Barça Zou) by Paul Nouhet, which recounts the journey of a group of 18-year-olds as they venture to Barcelona for their first trip without parents, later reflecting on their experiences a decade later.

International selections include Living Twice, Dying Thrice by Iranian director Karim Lakzadeh. The film tells the story of three miners who survive a mine collapse but feign their deaths for financial compensation, only to discover that maintaining this deception leads to unforeseen crises amidst scrutiny from authorities.

The lineup also showcases Summer Drift (Virages), a hybrid film set in Geneva by Swiss directors Céline Carridroit and Aline Suter. This narrative centers on a woman working at a luxury watch factory who decides to restore her vintage VW Beetle, confronting a world that once marginalized her.

Other international entries include Promised Spaces, directed by Serbian filmmaker Ivan Marković, detailing the lives of construction workers in Cambodia juxtaposed with the experience of a new tenant in a luxury high-rise.

In addition to the fiction features, the lineup includes three documentaries: A Secret Heart by Tom Fontenille, which intimately documents the transformation of his father into his grandmother Lilou; Dans La Gueule de l’Ogre by Mahsa Karampour, focusing on the reunion of siblings after years of separation; and Detention by Guillaume Massart, which explores the complexities of France’s penitentiary system through the training of future prison guards.

Also featured is the animated film Blaise by Dimitri Planchon and Jean-Paul Guigue, which portrays the humorous challenges faced by the Savage Family in their quest for acceptance.

Since its inception in 1992, ACID has emerged as Cannes’ youngest parallel section, aiming to support independent films that might otherwise struggle for visibility. Ginot affirms that the ACID screenings in Cannes serve as a launchpad for a year-long effort to promote these films across France, emphasizing the importance of accessibility for all audiences.

This year’s selection committee comprised Valérie Bert, Anne Colson, Sylvain George, Martin Jauvat, Maxime Jean-Baptiste, Julien Meunier, Hélène Milano, Marion Naccache, Thomas Paulot, Philippe Petit, Déni Pitsaev, Paola Termine, and Pamela Varela.

ACID 2026 Lineup:

• A Secret Heart (Cœur Secret)
  France
  Dir: Tom Fontenille

• Blaise
  France
  Dir: Dimitri Planchon & Jean-Paul Guigue

• Born Under A Bad Star (Mauvaise Étoile) – Opening film
  France
  Dirs: Lola Cambourieu and Yann Berlier

• Dans La Gueule de L’Ogre
  France
  Dir: Mahsa Karampour

• Detention (La Détention)
  France
  Dir: Guillaume Massart

• Living Twice, Dying Thrice
  Iran
  Dir: Karim Lakzadeh

• Promised Space
  France, Germany, Serbia, Cambodia
  Dir: Ivan Marković

• Rewind Barcelona (Barça Zou)
  Dir: Paul Nouhet

• Summer Drift (Virages)
  Switzerland, France
  Dirs: Céline Carridroit & Aline Suter