The 58th Directors' Fortnight announced its 2026 Cannes selection Tuesday, with African narratives accounting for three of the 28 titles across the feature and short film programs — one from Nigeria, one from Sudan, and one from Morocco. The section's editorial statement names Nigeria and Sudan explicitly among the cinematographies it set out to program, describing both as underrepresented on the international circuit.
"Clarissa", directed by brothers Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri, is the sole African feature in the lineup. A contemporary reimagining of Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway," the film follows society woman Clarissa as she prepares to host a party at her Lagos home, where she unexpectedly encounters once-intimate friends from her youth. Over the course of a single night, memories of their relationships, loves, desires, and lost aspirations give rise to a bittersweet reckoning. The film stars Sophie Okonedo and David Oyelowo, with India Amarteifio, Ayo Edebiri, and Toheeb Jimoh in the ensemble cast. Shot on 35mm in Lagos and Delta State, the film was financed by Afreximbank's CANEX Creations Inc. and acquired for worldwide distribution by Neon. The Esiri brothers' debut, "Eyimofe (This Is My Desire)," premiered at Berlinale, won multiple African Movie Academy Awards, and was released by Janus Films before entering the Criterion Collection.
Among the short and medium-length films, Sudanese director Ibrahim Omar contributes "Nothing Happens After Your Absence" (لا شيءَ يحدثُ بعدَ غيابِكَ). No synopsis has been released for this specific title. Omar is known for his 2023 short "Nothing Happens After That," which follows a father searching for a final resting place for his deceased child and won the Golden Tanit for short film at the Carthage Film Festival. He is also the founder of Port Sudan Film Days, an annual short film festival, and the Sudan Film Institute, which focuses on research in cinema, anthropology, and contemporary arts.
Moroccan-French filmmaker Saïd Hamich Benlarbi rounds out the African presence with "À La Recherche De L'Oiseau Gris Aux Rayures Vertes" (In Search of the Grey Bird with Green Stripes), a documentary short. No synopsis has been released. Benlarbi is a La Fémis graduate and winner of the Lagardère Foundation prize who has worked with filmmakers including Nabil Ayouch, Faouzi Bensaïdi, and Leyla Bouzid. His previous short "Le Départ" was selected for 100 international festivals, won 27 awards, and received a César nomination in 2022.
The full Quinzaine 2026 program runs 19 features and 9 shorts across 19 countries and 5 continents, with Alain Guiraudie serving as artistic director. The 79th Cannes Film Festival takes place May 13–24.
