Nine takeaways from the 2026 Cannes Marché du Film

Technically, the Festival de Cannes has another six days to run, but the business side of the Marche du Film is already over. I have spent the past week talking with people, walking the Marché, dropping in on panels, and listening. My overall impression was that more is shifting under the surface than the official press releases reveal. While Cannes 2026 felt a little calmer than last year, it wasn’t for reasons worth celebrating. Film professionals felt more focused, resigned to some changes, oblivious to others, and parts of the industry seemed thinner around the edges.Here are the nine things I took away from this year’s festival:Cannes got bigger and quieter at the same time. Record attendance, thinner buzz, fewer parties, shorter stays.The word “strategic” was everywhere. Fewer meetings, more deliberate ones. Risk mitigation dressed up in a less scary-sounding word.AI is regarded as an analyst, not an author. And unlike previous tech, it is not going anywhere.Hollywood and…