The 2026 Cannes Film Festival once again confirmed its status as a global hub for cinema, and increasingly, for screen music.
Beyond premieres and red carpets, this year’s edition highlighted the vital role music plays in shaping the identity of audiovisual works, while underscoring the growing importance of international creative partnerships in an increasingly globalised market.
As a long-standing institutional partner of the Festival, Sacem once again strengthened Cannes’ role as a unique platform for screen composers, creating opportunities for visibility, international networking and new creative collaborations.
A key part of this approach is Spot the Composer, the Marché du Film programme launched in 2020 with Sacem’s support to connect film music talents with directors and producers seeking original scores for projects in development or production.
Created to encourage new international creative partnerships, the programme brought together ten composers this year from France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Peru and Switzerland. Over several days, participants took part in exclusive one-to-one meetings with producers and filmmakers, creating meaningful opportunities for future artistic collaborations.
Beyond networking, Spot the Composer also offered participants moments of inspiration and learning, including a masterclass organised by the Marché du Film and Amine Bouhafa’s music lesson, a festival highlight where the award-winning composer shared his experience and creative approach to writing music for screen.
The 2026 edition also highlighted Cannes’ growing role as an international hub for audiovisual music. Throughout the Festival, Sacem supported the original scores of thirteen films featured across official selections and welcomed forty screen composers in Cannes. By organising a dedicated red carpet moment for film composers, Sacem also gave these talents an exceptional international exposure at one of the world’s most influential film events.
From professional meetings and informal exchanges to the Sunset Live sessions at the Jardin Sacem and the Film Music Party in partnership with Meta, moments designed to spotlight the talent and musical worlds of screen composers, the Festival once again proved to be a place where tomorrow’s creative collaborations take shape.
©Cedric Canezza/Cartel
As global demand for screen music continues to grow, fuelled by streaming platforms and international productions, the partnership between Sacem, the Cannes Film Festival and the Marché du Film goes far beyond institutional support. It actively supports talents, creative connections and works shaping the future of global cinema.
Because in Cannes, great stories often begin with a meeting, and sometimes, with a score.
Published July 10 2026