Cannes Embraces Feminist Icons, But Female Director Representation Drops [2026 Cannes Live]

The streets of Cannes, France, are currently filled with images from the movie ‘Thelma & Louise’. From the Palais des Festivals, the main venue of the Cannes Film Festival, to bus stops and shop windows, the same posters are taking over the city.

The official poster for the 79th Cannes Film Festival is a still image from Ridley Scott’s ‘Thelma & Louise’ (1991), featuring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis perched on a convertible. With white t-shirts, sunglasses, jeans, and a gun visible behind them, the image perfectly captures the energy of rebellion and liberation that the film symbolizes. The journey of two women fleeing after a threat of sexual violence challenged the male-centric narrative of Hollywood 35 years ago and has since become a classic of feminist cinema.

Out of the 22 films invited to the competition section of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, only 5 were directed by women. Austrian director Marie Kreutzer (48) presents ‘Gentle Monster’, and German director Valeska Grisebach (58) showcases ‘Dreaming Adventure’. From France, Jeanne Herry (48)’s ‘Garance’, Charlene Bourgeois-Taki (40)’s ‘A Woman’s Life’, and Léa Mizius (37)’s ‘Birthday Party’ made the competition list. Not a single non-European female director was invited. This is a decrease from last year, which saw 7 female directors.

During the opening press conference on the 12th (local time), Festival Director Thierry Frémont responded to questions by stating, “Films are selected based on the quality of the work, not the gender of the director.” He also explained that one should look at all sections, not just the competition category.

However, considering that the prestige of the Cannes Film Festival is ultimately defined by the competition section where the Palme d’Or is contested, critics point out that it is hard to avoid criticism that the ratio of female directors in this section remained at only 22%.

Some are raising criticisms of “feminism washing,” arguing that there is a lack of actual diversity compared to the selection of a poster that emphasizes the symbolism of diversity and feminism. According to the French daily Le Monde, the gender equality group ’50/50′ described the poster as the “instrumentalization of symbols.” The Hollywood Reporter reported on the 14th that Kirsten Shepherd, CEO of ‘Women in Film’, stated, “The perception that the ‘auteur’ is still male exists,” and that they are “struggling to break the glass ceiling.”