Executive Vice-President Virkkunen in Cannes to support 19 EU-backed films and engage with audiovisual industry

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, is attending the Cannes Film Festival this year to engage with the audiovisual industry on media policy. She will meet key institutional and industry stakeholders, interact with creators and innovators, and take part in a public discussion outlining her priorities for media policy.

The 2026 edition of the renowned festival demonstrates the strength and diversity of the European audiovisual creative industry, with 19 films supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA programme competing across various categories. Seven of these films are competing for the Palme d'Or: ‘Coward' by Lukas Dhont, ‘El ser querido' by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, ‘Fjord' by Cristian Mungiu, ‘Gentle Monster' by Marie Kreutzer, ‘L'Inconnue' by Arthur Harari, ‘Notre Salut' by Emmanuel Marre, and ‘Das Geträumte Abenteuer' by Valeska Grisebach.

The selected films have received a total of €1.17 million in EU support, reflecting the EU's continued commitment to fostering European talent and strengthening the competitiveness of its audiovisual sector.

Executive Vice-President Virkkunen said: “I am delighted to be at this year's Cannes Film Festival, celebrating the best of European cinema and the creative talent that makes our audiovisual sector thrive. EU funding plays a crucial role in supporting innovative and ambitious projects and enables the European audiovisual industry to produce world-class content. Looking ahead, our commitment to European media and culture remains unwavering and I look forward to seeing the next generation of European filmmakers and creators flourish.”

As Creative Europe MEDIA marks its 35th anniversary, preparations are already underway for its successor, the AgoraEU programme, to be launched. AgoraEU will build on Creative Europe's success and increase EU support to the audiovisual and film industries, reinforcing Europe's capacity to create, distribute and promote high-quality works on the global stage.