SHE BLOGS

By Elizabeth Blake-Thomas, Mother Daughter Entertainment The festival is over and you have returned home. Now what? The first thing you should do is pause for a moment and congratulate yourself. Attending and navigating Cannes is no small achievement. Many people talk about going for years but never actually take the step to make it happen. They dream about it, plan for it, and imagine what it might be like, but life, work, or finances get in the way. You made it happen. You

Last October, during a torrential downpour, I was out to lunch with some film folk somewhere in the southern portion of Palma, just by the sea. It was the middle of the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival, my first film festival, and I felt as though people could actually see me floating. I was simply happy to be there—to soak up all the culture and information that people seemed to freely give once you were “in the door.” We were sitting in this nice restaurant—ne

LEIGH ARIANA TRIFARI/MINERVA WORLD MEDIA 12 May 2026. All rights reserved. Women directors remain a minority in Cannes’ 2026 Competition — just five of twenty-two titles (24%) are helmed by women — yet their presence shapes some of the festival’s most anticipated films. Main Competition — Films Directed by Women Marie Kreutzer’s Gentle Monster and Valeska Grisebach’s The Dreamed Adventure anchor the lineup with psychologically rich, cross-border narratives, while France field

THE CATCH Directed by JO SOUTHWELL Writers: Emily Barr, Craig Barr-Green Starring : Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ben Miles, Omid Djalili, with Lizzie Aaryn-Stanton The Catch is an elevated horror in which a ruined celebrity chef travels to Cornwall in search of a mythical delicacy, only for his obsession with the rarest catch to spiral into a terrifying confrontation with a community of vengeful mermaids. In a new exclusive interview on Horror Valentines, Ella spoke with Director Jo

WENCH EXPERIENCES Founder/Director: Sapna Moti Bhavnani Key Team: Heidi Honeycut Projects Include: Wench Film Festival, Wench Films A dying man seeks the ultimate release: birth in reverse. In a new exclusive interview on Horror Valentines, Ella spoke with Sapna Bhavani about Wench Experiences. A pioneer of all things horror in India, Wench specialises in immersive, horror themed experiences and events that empower the female gaze. Known for curating unique gatherings such as

MAN EATING PUSSY Written and Directed by LEE LAWSON Produced by Lawsonian Starring Grace Glowicki and Julian Richings A dying man seeks the ultimate release: birth in reverse. Man Eating Pussy is a drama / horror which follows a terminally ill man who finds solace with an enigmatic prostitute whose inhuman body provides both carnal satisfaction and final deliverance. In a new exclusive interview on Horror Valentines, Ella spoke with writer and director Lee Lawson about Man Ea

NOXTURNE Written and Directed by KRISTINA KLEBE Produced by Wolf Kitten Pictures Starring : Kristina Klebe, Byron Clohessy, Laila Robins, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Kim Director, Robert Clohessy Noxturne is a fantasy / thriller that follows a world-renowned pianist whose life is shattered after a devastating accident leaves her wheelchair-bound and dependent on her younger boyfriend as both caregiver and companion. As her recovery becomes increasingly isolating, disturbing visions

SNAPSHOT Directed by JOSEPH ARCHER Written by Cathy Wippell Produced by Silicon Gothic Starring : Tom Stourton (100 Nights of Hero), Cathy Wippell, Hazel Rogers, Nadia Lamin (Host, Feed Me), Lydia Helen (The Little Mermaid). Featuring Ishtar Currie-Wilson (The First Omen) and Freya Parks (This Town). Snapshot is a horror/mystery set in London, 1988 which follows amateur inventor Tamworth, who has just created the first moving image machine. A modified pinhole camera with wax

Charlie Shaw's Revenge Written and Directed by JOHN LANGRIDGE Produced by Drop Dead Films Starring : Cerys Knighton, Bill Fellows, Mark Benton, with James Payton. Charlie Shaw's Revenge is a thriller which follows an eclectic group of workers preparing for the re-opening of a remote adventure park on the brink of bankruptcy when they find themselves stalked by a silent killer. Cut off from any form of rescue, the survivors must band together to fight for their lives. In a new

BROKEN BIRD Directed by JOANNE MITCHELL Writers: Tracey Sheals, Dominic Brunt, Joanne Mitchell Produced by Catalyst Studios Starring : Rebecca Calder (Sybil), James Fleet (Mr. Thomas), Sacharissa Claxton (Emma), Jay Taylor (mark). "She likes poetry and dead things" In a new exclusive interview on Horror Valentines, Ella spoke with Joanne Mitchell about Catalyst Studios. Hi Joanne, what can you tell us about the core focus or mission behind Catalyst Studios, and what are you h

Managing Director, STAGE 32 Based in USA www.stage32.com / @stage32 In this Main Stage Interview, Chloe sits down with Amanda Toney, Managing Director of Stage 32, to explore why they’re coming to Cannes this year, the journey behind their work, and upcoming objectives. Visual media entertainment is a multi-billion dollar industry, with film and television driving that hefty sum. Amanda wants creatives to understand that geography, resources, and connections shouldn’t be bar

Documentary Producer / Caregiver Advocate & Speaker | SPCH Based in Cannes, France @svetpanuta In this She Spotlight, Johanna sits down with Svetlana Serigny - a documentary producer, author and speaker whose work is rooted in lived experience and driven by a mission to shift perspectives on disability, resilience and caregiving. Entering the industry outside traditional pathways, she uses storytelling as a tool for impact - bringing deeply personal realities into public c

Director | Rhyolight Films Based in Berkeley, California, USA @sahrafilms In this She Spotlight, Johanna sits down with Sahra Bhimji - a director and film professor whose work explores the space between reality and the surreal. With a background shaped by independent cinema and a deep curiosity for both storytelling and technology, she is currently stepping into her debut feature Animal Heart, blending themes of motherhood, body autonomy, and transformation through a genre-dr

Producer / Director / PR Expert | President, Flirt Films and ChicArt PR Based in Montreal & Los Angeles @chicatronica In this She Spotlight, Johanna sits down with Patricia Chica - a producer, director and PR expert whose work spans film production, talent development and strategic positioning within the industry. As President of Flirt Films and ChicArt PR, she brings a holistic approach to filmmaking, combining storytelling, mentorship and market awareness with a strong com

Producer / Film Finance Expert | President, Celes Luna Holding @linadreambuilder In this She Spotlight, Johanna sits down with Luna Zhang - an independent producer and President of Celes Luna Holding, specialising in film financing, deal structuring and international partnerships. With experience spanning large-scale productions and independent projects, her work is driven by a commitment to meaningful storytelling, alongside a strong focus on diversity, inclusion and women’

Actor / Director / Intimacy Coordination Trainee Based in United Kingdom @clmore77 In this She Spotlight, Johanna sits down with Claire Darch - an actor and emerging filmmaker whose work is shaped by a deep interest in storytelling, human connection and the wellbeing of those involved in the creative process. As she expands into directing and intimacy coordination, her focus centres on creating safe, respectful environments where powerful and honest stories can be told. You

Producer / Founder, Gaia Film Production Based in London, UK @ankitaenvisions / @gaiafilmproduction In this She Spotlight, Johanna sits down with Ankita S Pandey - a London-based producer and founder of Gaia Film Production, whose work centres on socially driven, character-led storytelling that challenges perspectives while remaining deeply human. With a background in architecture and a growing slate of female-led, globally resonant projects, she is currently bringing her de

Actress / Director Based in Paris, France @clara.cantos In this She Spotlight, Johanna sits down with Clara Cantos - an actress and director whose work is shaped by emotional honesty and lived experience with a deep belief in stories that disturb gently and stay with you. Moving between acting and writing, she is currently developing her own original work, bringing together themes of identity, femininity and transformation with a distinctive, poetic voice. An actress and di

Presented by Yes She Cannes as part of the Women in Genre programme with the Fantastic Pavilion As part of the Yes She Cannes Women in Genre programme at Cannes 2026, co-hosted with Etheria Film Festival and Wench Film Festival, this curated Project Showcase brings together filmmakers, production companies and genre voices working across horror, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy and elevated genre cinema. Presented within the wider ecosystem of the Fantastic Pavilion, the showcase hi

New series from Ella, Horror Valentines: Inside the Cannes Genre Scene Joseph Archer and Cathy Wippell (Silicon Gothic) - Feature Film Name: Snapshot Company: Silicon Gothic Director: Joseph Archer Writer: Cathy Wippell Starring: Tom Stourton (100 Nights of Hero), Cathy Wippell, Hazel Rogers, Nadia Lamin (Host, Feed Me), Lydia Helen (The Little Mermaid). Featuring Ishtar Currie-Wilson (The First Omen) and Freya Parks (This Town). Snapshot is a horror/mystery set in London,