Cannes Classics 2026: A Celebration of Restored Cinema Masterpieces
The 2026 Cannes Classics lineup will kick off with a 4K restoration of Guillermo del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth," which will be screened as the festival's pre-opening event on May 12 at the Debussy Theater. Del Toro oversaw the restoration process from the original 35mm negative and will be present at the screening. The program includes 21 restored features, three short films, six documentaries, and two contemporary works, all dedicated to the memory of production designer Dean Tavoularis. Screenings will be held at the Buñuel Theater, the Agnès Varda Theater, and the Cinéma de la Plage.
The lineup features a variety of restored prints, including Akira Kurosawa's "Sugata Sanshiro," Chen Kaige's "Farewell My Concubine," Jerzy Skolimowski's "Moonlighting," and Dario Argento's "Love Circle." Ken Russell's "The Devils" will also be showcased in a new 4K restoration. The selection spans over eight decades of world cinema, with films like Andrzej Wajda's "Man of Iron," Orson Welles's "The Stranger," and André Malraux's "Sierra de Teruel" among the highlights. Italian cinema is well-represented with restorations of Vittorio De Sica's "Two Women," Luchino Visconti's "The Innocent," and more.
The geographical reach of the selection extends across four continents, with films from India, Taiwan, Burkina Faso, Argentina, Greece, the United States, and Belgium. The documentary strand includes titles like Mark Cousins's "The Story of Documentary Film (The 70s)," Mike Mendez's "Dernsie: The Amazing Life of Bruce Dern," and Francesco Zippel's "Vittorio De Sica – Staging Life." The short film program features works by Jia Zhangke, Dustin Yellin, and Amirhossein Shojaei, while the contemporary feature selections include Béranger Thouin's "The Golden Age" and Jean-Gabriel Périot's "A Life, A Manifesto."
In conclusion, the 2026 Cannes Classics lineup offers a diverse selection of restored films, documentaries, short films, and contemporary works from around the world, celebrating the rich history of cinema and honoring the legacy of talented filmmakers and artists. The program promises to be a captivating journey through cinematic history, showcasing the beauty and power of storytelling on the big screen.