The 79th Cannes Film Festival will begin on May 12 with “The Electric Venus” by Pierre Salvadori. The opening will be highlighted by a French cast and a simultaneous screening in theaters.
The selection for the opening of the Cannes Film Festival marks each year the launch of an event followed by film professionals and the public. For the 2026 edition, the organizers have chosen The Electric Venus, a new film by Pierre Salvadori. The screening will take place on May 12, 2026, in the Grand Théâtre Lumière, following the opening ceremony.
The evening will be hosted by actress Eye Haïdara. A special moment is also planned with the awarding of an honorary Palme d’Or to director Peter Jackson. This opening follows the continuity of after Partir un jour by Amélie Bonnin, which launched the previous edition. Thus, French cinema maintains a visible position from the very first screening.
Director Pierre Salvadori reacted to the announcement: “Cannes celebrates everything I love about cinema: directing, audacity, freedom, and authors. It discovers them, supports them, celebrates them. In its own way, my film embodies all the belief and love I have for my profession. I am so proud and happy that it opens the ball!”
A period comedy between lies and illusion
The Electric Venus is Pierre Salvadori’s 11th feature film. The film stands out for its historical setting. The plot takes place in Paris at the beginning of the 20th century, more precisely in 1928. It marks the filmmaker’s first foray into period dramas.
The story follows Antoine Balestro, played by Pio Marmaï, a renowned painter facing a creative block. The disappearance of Irène, the character’s wife, weighs on his artistic work. Armand, a gallery owner and close friend, observes this impasse with concern. An attempt to contact the beyond becomes the starting point of the story.
One scene marks a turning point. Antoine, in a state of inebriation, consults a medium hoping to speak to Irène. The exchange does not go as planned. Suzanne, a street performer, ends up responding in place of the medium. This presence is based on an unforeseen situation, linked to an attempt to steal food from a caravan.
The situation evolves into a prolonged deception. Suzanne agrees to maintain the illusion. Armand is part of this staging. The objective remains clear: to give Antoine back his creative capacity. The film thus addresses lies and pretenses in a comedic register.
The festival described the work as “a delightfully burlesque romantic comedy.” This orientation is in line with the influences claimed by Pierre Salvadori. The director often cites Ernst Lubitsch, Billy Wilder, or Blake Edwards. A visible lineage in the tone and rhythm of the narrative.
A cast familiar to the public and Cannes
The film brings together several well-known faces of French cinema. Pio Marmaï plays the main role as mentioned earlier, Anaïs Demoustier also joins the cast, following a notable presence at Cannes in 2024, as do Gilles Lellouche, Vimala Pons, and Gustave Kervern.
The opening screening will not be followed by a competition participation. A typical rule of the Cannes Film Festival. However, a simultaneous broadcast is planned in all French cinemas. This choice allows for a shared experience between festival-goers and viewers.
This strategy reinforces the idea of an open launch. The public can discover the film at the same time as the professionals present at the Croisette. A way to link the event to a broader distribution.
The Croisette is thus preparing to welcome a new edition of the festival. The organizers often refer to “the fortnight” to designate this period. The announcement of the opening film constitutes a first milestone in preparing for the event.
The Electric Venus fits into this dynamic. A period film, a plot built around illusion, and a distribution designed to go beyond the festival’s scope. The meeting on May 12, 2026, will set the tone for an edition awaited by the cinema sector.
