Janus Films
U.S. arthouse distributor affiliated with The Criterion Collection. Acquired North American rights to Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Kokurojo: The Samurai and the Prisoner ahead of its 2026 Cannes Premiere.
7
Total Mentions
7
Articles
May 6, 2026
Most Recent
Deal Activity
The Cannes Marché Country of Honour Effect: Does Japan 2026 Actually Move the Needle on Japanese-Content Licensing?
Japan is the Cannes Marché 2026 Country of Honour. The designation drives meaningful programming, panels, and visibility at the May 12-21 Marché. The actual question for sellers and buyers: does Country of Honour status meaningfully move the needle on territory licensing values for content from the honoured country? Comparing Japan 2026 to Italy 2025, Mexico 2024, and historical patterns.
Neon's Post-Anora Positioning at Cannes 2026: What Best Picture Buys You at the Bidding Table
Neon arrives at Cannes 2026 carrying the residual brand value of two Best Picture wins in five years (Parasite 2019, Anora 2024). The Tom Quinn-led specialty distributor is using that leverage to shift from broad-slate acquisition to high-conviction, low-volume bidding — and what that means for sellers, competing buyers, and the 2026-2027 awards pipeline.
Mubi's Pre-Cannes 2026 Strategy: How the Platform-Plus-Theatrical Model Is Reshaping Specialty Acquisition
Mubi enters Cannes 2026 with the deepest theatrical footprint in its history, the strongest balance sheet of any pure-play specialty buyer, and an acquisition mandate that increasingly competes head-to-head with Neon and A24 for Competition titles. Here's how the model works and what it means for sellers.
Cannes Is Now a Confirmation Venue, Not a Discovery Venue
Two Cannes 2026 titles — Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 'The Samurai and the Prisoner' and Maxence Voiseux's 'Gabin' — locked U.S. and international deals weeks before the festival opened. The pattern is no longer an exception.
Berlin's Long Tail vs. Cannes' Short Head: Two Sales Rhythms, One Operations Problem
Berlin's 2026 winners are still closing territory deals eight weeks after the festival ended. Cannes 2026 titles are closing deals before the festival begins. The operational implication: staggered avails is no longer a niche problem.
Pre-Cannes 2026 Acquisitions Tracker: Which Titles Already Have Distribution Before the Festival Opens
Several 2026 Cannes selections closed distribution deals before the festival even opens. A running list of pre-premiere acquisitions — Janus Films, Lightdox, SND, Curzon, Heretic — and what the early-deal pattern signals about 2026 Marché pricing.
Asian Cinema's Cannes 2026 Moment: Park Chan-wook Presides Over the Strongest Asian Lineup in Years
Park Chan-wook presides over the main jury; three Japanese directors and two Korean directors compete for the Palme d'Or; Kiyoshi Kurosawa headlines Cannes Premiere; Japan is Marché du Film Country of Honour. The 2026 edition is the most Asia-weighted Cannes in a decade.