Cannes: ACID Lineup of Bold Films Has Two From Iran-Born Directors
'Blaise'
Courtesy of KG Productions
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ACID, the Cannes Film Festival sidebar run by France’s association of film directors whose goal is promoting the theatrical distribution of independent films, unveiled its 2026 lineup on Tuesday, with general delegate Pauline Ginot promising a selection of nine “adventurous” and “bold” films from emerging voices from such countries as Iran, Switzerland and, of course, France.
Launched in 1992, ACID has made a reputation for itself for discovering up-and-coming directing talents. Among others, it brought to Cannes the first features of such auteurs as Anatomy of a Fall director Justine Triet, who premiered Age of Panic there, Radu Jude, who unveiled The Happiest Girl in the World in the program in 2009, and Kaouther Ben Hania (The Voice of Hind Rajab), who screened her feature debut, The Blade of Tunis, at ACID in 2014. ACID has previously also championed early works by the likes of Guy Maddin, including My Winnipeg.
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More than 600 films were submitted this year for one of the coveted nine spots in the ACID program, Ginot tells THR. “We watched all of them and are now sending letters to everybody,” she highlights. “And we try to do so with some quotes and thoughts from the committee, so people know that their movies were really watched by other filmmakers. We are a filmmakers’ association and union, and filmmakers are used to being rejected and waiting for an answer, so we get a lot of feedback from people feeling that it is amazing that their movie was watched” and they received feedback.
As every year, there were not enough spots for all the exciting films. “We had to leave a lot of really good films [out], but I’m pretty much sure they will find a place,” Ginot says.
“We love to be adventurous,” she tells THR. “ACID is a collective of filmmakers who support independent film and who want to go bold. We have films that sometimes are not perfect, but you can tell that there is a filmmaker who has a future, and the ecosystem will be happy to see the other films from these people. And without us, they may not have a future. There is no second or third movie, if there is no first one, even if that first one is not a perfect one. We’re just here to help filmmakers and bring them international exposure.”
Two films in this year’s ACID lineup are from Iran-born filmmakers, three are documentaries, one a fiction-doc hybrid, and the topics and themes explored are various.
This year’s programming committee consists of the following 13 filmmakers: 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.
Check out the full ACID 2026 lineup below, with some insight and thoughts from Ginot.
A Secret Heart (Cœur Secret) by Tom Fontenille (85 Min – France – 2026)
Synopsis: “Over the last four years, Lilou left her secret life behind, becoming a 64-year-old woman who enjoys DIY, gardening, cycling and looking after her grandchildren. As I accompanied her through her transformation, I filmed a family healing its wounds and reinventing a place for everyone. This is my family, Lilou is my father.”
‘A Secret Heart,’ courtesy of 5A7 Films
Says Ginot: “We start with a family of four whose lives are set in motion along several storylines: mourning the mother, the father undergoes a revolution, begins a gender transition, and then drags everyone along with him. An intimate family documentary – one that couldn’t be more humble – that also turns out to be a melodrama and a family epic.”
Blaise by Dimitri Planchon & Jean-Paul Guigue (82 Min – France – 2026)
Synopsis: “The Sauvage family just wants to be loved. Carole is trying to improve her poor reputation among her employees, while Jacques is trying to do the same with his friends. As for their son Blaise, politely, he’s about to embark on a revolutionary, violent, and completely impromptu crusade for a girl.”
This animated film is based on a comic that has already received the series treatment.
Says Ginot: “The movie has a stellar voice cast [including Léa Drucker] and really sharp dialogue that is mocking the bourgeoisie