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Cannes president Iris Knobloch: “Spain is becoming a land of creativity”

From Clarín · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Cannes president Iris Knobloch praised Spain’s growing creative presence after four Spanish films appeared in the festival’s 2026 selection.
  • She highlighted the festival’s broad international representation, including films from the Congo, Rwanda and Haiti, and said cinema extends beyond Europe and the United States.
  • Women directed 34% of the 2026 feature-film selection, rising to 58% in Un Certain Regard, although Knobloch said visibility was only a first step.

“Spain is becoming a genuine land of creativity,” Cannes president Iris Knobloch told Vanity Fair after the 2026 edition of the festival. Four Spanish films featured in the selection, giving the country a prominent presence at an event held from May 12 to 23 in the French coastal city.

Knobloch also pointed to the strength of French cinema. Five French filmmakers competed, while 28 films in the official selection were produced in the host country. The United States maintained a presence close to the previous year’s level, with 11 feature films compared with 12 in 2025. Asia contributed six films, mainly from Japan and South Korea.

The Cannes president said the festival should look beyond the industries that traditionally dominate international cinema. The Congo, Rwanda and Haiti were also represented. “We always have the reflex to talk about Europe and the United States, but the world of cinema is infinite,” she said. In her view, the growth of national film industries offers a chance to see how filmmakers from different places use the festival to share distinct ways of interpreting the world.

Spain is becoming a genuine land of creativity.

· Iris KnoblochThe Cannes president praised the development of Spanish cinema.

Knobloch also highlighted the rising participation of women. Female directors accounted for 34% of the feature-film selection in 2026, up from 26% the previous year. Their share reached 58% in Un Certain Regard. The group included filmmakers presenting their first films and new names on the international circuit, which Knobloch viewed as evidence of a new generation entering the field.

Women also had a stronger presence in the short-film selections and in Cinef, the section devoted to films made by students at film schools. Knobloch nevertheless said visibility represented only a first step. The article also identifies artificial intelligence and cinema’s role in the contemporary world as topics she addressed in the interview.

We always have the reflex to talk about Europe and the United States, but the world of cinema is infinite.

· Iris KnoblochKnobloch argued that Cannes should recognize filmmaking beyond the traditionally dominant industries.
About this summary

Originally published by Clarín in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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