Fjord Wins at Cannes, Improves to 8% Chance to Win Best Picture

In a surprise win, Fjord, a small film about a Romanian-Norwegian family's culture clash, was able to win the top award at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.

Starring two recent Academy Award nominees, Sebastian Stan (acting in his native language on-screen for the first time) and Renate Reinsve, the film was a sensation at the festival, boosting its Best Picture odds. But can it compete with more established filmmakers' latest blockbusters?

It will be an uphill battle for Mungiu’s film to take home the Oscar. This year, arguably the three greatest blockbuster filmmakers of their respective generations, Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and Denis Villeneuve all have films coming out. Spielberg's Disclosure Day is releasing soon and already receiving rave reviews, while Nolan's The Odyssey is the most anticipated film of the year.

This is all to say nothing of perennial awards darling Alejandro Iñárritu's new film Digger. Not much is known about the film's plot at this point, but early rumors suggest there will be a lot of hype around the possibility that it could earn Tom Cruise his first Oscar.

It looks to be one of the most stacked fields in recent years, but it's still early, and a lot can change. So far, Fjord struck first at Cannes. Maybe it will be the dark horse to topple these giants.