Cannes Acid sidebar announced

Parallel section features nine films

by Amber Wilkinson

Living Twice, Dying Thrice
Living Twice, Dying Thrice Photo: Repassfilm

Cannes Acid sidebar has announced its selection of nine films for this year's festival.

The parallel section is now in its 34th year and has become known for discovering filmmakers near the start of their career. It previously showcased the early work of directors including Kaouther Ben Hania's The Blade Of Tunis, Radu Jude's The Happiest Girl In The World and Justine Triet's Age Of Panic.

Cannes Acid poster 2026
Cannes Acid poster 2026

This year's selection was chosen by France’s association of film directors from more than 650 submissions.

Among the international selection is Karim Lakzadeh's Living Twice, Dying Thrice, about three miners who pretend they have died in a mine collapse so their families can gain compensation. Fellow Iranian-born director Mahsa Karampour brings personal documentary Dans La Gueule De L’ogre (which translates as In The Ogre's Mouth), which considers what it means to live in exile.

Karampour's film is one of three documentaries in the line-up, alongside French filmmaker Tom Fotenille's A Secret Heart, whose equally personal story considers his father's transition to life as a 64-year-old grandmother following the death of Fotenille's mother. Guillaume Massart's Detention meanwhile considers life at the French prison officers academy.

There is one animation in the line-up, Blaise by Dimitri Planchon and Jean-Paul Guigue, which follows the ups and downs of Sauvage family.

The full line-up is below:

● A Secret Heart (Cœur Secret), France, Dir: Tom Fontenille

● Blaise, France, Dir: Dimitri Planchon & Jean-Paul Guigue

● Born Under A Bad Star (Mauvaise Étoile), France, Dirs: Lola Cambourieu and Yann Berlier

● Dans La Gueule de L’Ogre, France, Mahsa Karampour

● Detention (La Détention), France, Dir: Guillaume Massart

● Living Twice, Dying Thrice, Iran, Dir: Karim Lakzadeh

● Promised Spaces, France, Germany, Serbia, Cambodia, Dir: Ivan Marković

● Rewind Barcelona (Barça Zou), France, Dir: Paul Nouhet

● Summer Drift (Virages), Switzerland, France, Dir: Céline Carridroit & Aline Suter

Share this with others on...
News

Where crows are watching JP Davidson and Craig Russell on nature, belief, UK horror and The Cull

Truth and lies Sean Hogan on true crime documentaries, unknowable characters and The Dark Gets In

A walking contradiction Sinéad O'Shea on James 'Fergie' Chambers Jr and All About The Money

Unconventional families Milcho Manchevski on being blacklisted and making Sister Brother Manhole Cover

Expecting the unexpected Jordan Mark Windsor and Sean Wallace on Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant

Celluloid vampire Arthur Harari on Léa Seydoux, the mystery of ideas, and The Unknown

Patrick Stewart dies X-men and Star Trek actor was 86

More news and features

We're bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the Belfast Film Festival, Halloween Frightfest, the Cheltenham International Film Festival and the Leeds International Film Festival.



We're looking forward to the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, the French Film Festival and DOC NYC.



We've recently brought you coverage of the Scottish Queer International Film Festival, Newfest, the London Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, Grimmfest and Beyond Fest.



Read our full for more.


Visit our festivals section.

Interact

Don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon, Instagram and Bluesky.


It's a busy time for festivals and here's the latest:


Sundance Announces Legacy line-up of archive films


Frightfest Newcastle event announced for May 2027


French Film Festival UK Programme announced


Tallinn Black Nights Documentary line-up and Special Screenings announced


London Winners announced