Cinema in One Take

Cannes 2026: The Palme d’Or Race Is Wide Open

The Palme d’Or race at the Cannes Film Festival is becoming more unpredictable by the day as the festival enters its final stages. Emma Jones speaks to Kaleem Aftab from Cannes, to talk about the icy family drama Fjord starring Sebastian Stan, the politically charged Russian thriller Minotaur, and the visually stunning World War I love story Coward. They also explore one of the festival’s biggest emerging themes: the remarkable number of LGBTQ+ stories this year, from Japanese romance dramas to queer wartime love stories and buzzy late-night festival title Jim Queen. Sign up for our updates: cinemainonetake.substack.com [https://cinemainonetake.substack.com/] Follow us: @aftabamon [https://www.instagram.com/aftabamon] @emmapjones1 [https://www.instagram.com/emmapjones1/]

The Mood at Cannes 2026: Monsters, Mafia and Missing Movie Stars

AI children. Korean monsters. Missing Hollywood stars. And Jacob Elordi as Bond? In this Cannes dispatch, Emma Jones reports from the Film Festival as she and Kaleem Aftab break down some of the festival’s biggest premieres — from Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Sheep in the Box to Na Hong-jin’s bonkers sci-fi feature Hope, James Gray’s mafia thriller Paper Tiger, and Léa Seydoux’s acclaimed turn in Gentle Monster. They also ask: * Is Cannes losing its Hollywood glamour? * Why are critics so split this year? * Are genre films now dominating competition? * The growing buzz around breakout title Club Kid Plus: Javier Bardem in The Beloved, Scarlett Johansson’s absence hits Cannes hard, and Emma wonders if two French actors could walk away with major prizes. Sign up for our updates: cinemainonetake.substack.com [https://cinemainonetake.substack.com/] Follow us: @aftabamon [https://www.instagram.com/aftabamon] @emmapjones1 [https://www.instagram.com/emmapjones1/]

Is Cannes Less Glamorous? Plus Fatherland, Farhadi & Festival Fatigue

Emma Jones joins Kaleem Aftab from the Cannes Film Festival to unpack the films, politics, and glamour (as well as the growing exhaustion) at Cannes 2026. They discuss the strong early reaction to Pavel Pawlikowski’s Fatherland, why critics are divided over Asghar Farhadi’s Parallel Tales, Sandra Hüller’s latest performance, Isabelle Huppert in Parisian meta-fiction mode, and whether Cannes critics have become too impatient with slow films. Plus: the death of the legendary Cannes villa party, shrinking festival budgets, Women in Film  events and why the festival feels less decadent — but perhaps more revealing — than ever before.” Sign up for our updates: cinemainonetake.substack.com [https://cinemainonetake.substack.com/] Follow us: @aftabamon [https://www.instagram.com/aftabamon] @emmapjones1 [https://www.instagram.com/emmapjones1/]

The First Days of Cannes, the Fight for Cinema Culture and Concert Films

Day one at Cannes and already the big question is: what kind of festival is Cannes becoming? Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab break down an opening night dominated by Jane Fonda, nostalgia, political carefulness, and the idea that Hollywood studios no longer need the Cannes Croisette to launch a film. They discuss the first Competition reactions, why subtler world cinema may be have a moment with Koji Fukada's Nagi Notes, and whether Cannes is finally getting better at telling stories about women over 50 in A Woman's Life. Plus: Demi Moore on AI, Park Chan-wook as jury president, Billie Eilish concert films, and why Iron Maiden fans might understand modern cinema culture better than executives do. From auteur cinema to heavy metal fandom — this is Cannes in One Take. Sign up for our updates: cinemainonetake.substack.com [https://cinemainonetake.substack.com/] Follow us: @aftabamon [https://www.instagram.com/aftabamon] @emmapjones1 [https://www.instagram.com/emmapjones1/]

AI Panic, Cannes Jury Predictions and a 'Sexy Film About Trees'

This week Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab discuss the growing controversy around AI in filmmaking as Kaleem’s produced feature ' [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4ay7xulYLg]Memory of Princess Mumbi', [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4ay7xulYLg]made with generative AI, begins its international release following an award-winning festival run. From generative AI and visual effects to the Oscars’ new guidance on AI eligibility, they ask where the ethical lines around artificial intelligence in cinema now sit — and whether the industry is reacting to the technology itself, or the fear surrounding it. Plus: the Cannes Film Festival jury takes shape under president Park Chan-wook, but apparently without actor Jacob Elordi. Emma and Kaleem predict what kinds of films this year’s jury could reward. And, could the The Odyssey face a box office challenge from the 2026 FIFA World Cup — and why is Emma recommending a “sexy film about trees,” otherwise known as Silent Friend, the hypnotic new film from Ildikó Enyedi. Sign up for our updates: cinemainonetake.substack.com [https://cinemainonetake.substack.com/] Follow us: @aftabamon [https://www.instagram.com/aftabamon] @emmapjones1 [https://www.instagram.com/emmapjones1/]