Cannes Film Festival 2026: The Rise of Yes She Cannes
It’s a pinker and pinker Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival, and not only for the great work of the organisation in ensuring that women are increasingly present and visible across the events happening in and around the Marché. Something more organic is taking root. A shift in how women show up for each other in an industry long defined by competition.
Contrary to what most believe, and what many might have experienced, women can be genuinely supportive of each other. The proof is in Yes She Cannes. Support is not a weakness here. It is strategy. It is structure. And increasingly, it is visible.
Now entering its seventh year, the fast-growing platform founded by Faith Elizabeth returns to the Croisette for the 79th Cannes Film Festival with its most ambitious programme to date. What began as a support network has evolved into a recognised presence within both the Festival and the Marché du Film, with growing involvement in industry conversations.
Many women-led organisations speak about collaboration. Few sustain it beyond the spotlight. Yes She Cannes does the quieter work. Year round. Faith Elizabeth, actress and independent filmmaker, has built what members call a “She Squad”. A network that is nurtured consistently, preparing each woman not just to attend the Festival de Cannes, but to arrive with purpose.
In 2025 alone, over 70 members were supported on the ground in Cannes through a programme of events, workshops and industry access. The initiative also stepped onto the official stage, hosting its first Marché panel in collaboration with the Fantastic Pavilion. Coverage followed across major outlets including The Hollywood Reporter, FranceTV, Radio France and Cineuropa.
For 2026, the platform expands both physically and strategically.
The introduction of The Terrace, a private members’ space located just minutes from the Palais, adds something that is often missing during Cannes. A place to pause, to meet with intention, to have conversations that are not rushed between screenings and queues. Around it, a curated programme of panels, wellness sessions and industry discussions, including contributions developed with the Marché du Film and the Winston Baker Film Finance Forum.
The theme guiding this edition is clear: Building Collective Power, Together.
What is changing here is not just visibility. It’s behaviour. A different way of moving through Cannes is starting to emerge. Less isolated, less performative, more aware of the value of alignment. Of showing up not just for yourself, but with others.
Partnerships are also evolving. The confirmed collaboration with the London Rolling Film Festival signals a wider network of aligned organisations working across borders and throughout the year. The result is continuity. Presence at the festival, backed by work that extends far beyond it.
Cannes will always be intense, competitive and, at times, unforgiving. That is not changing anytime soon. But within it, there are spaces being built that make it more navigable. More strategic. More human.
As the Croisette prepares once again to host the global film industry, initiatives like Yes She Cannes are quietly redrawing the map. And perhaps that is where the real shift lies.
Not in being seen, but in building something that lasts once the red carpet is rolled away.
