The camera chart behind Cannes 2026 contains one obvious winner, and one much more interesting story. Yes, the ARRI ALEXA 35 appears as the dominant digital cinema camera across the feature films listed by IndieWire. That part is almost expected by now. The ALEXA 35 has become the safe, trusted, prestigious choice for high-end narrative work, especially when filmmakers want latitude, color stability, highlight control, and a digital negative that behaves in a familiar cinematic way. However, the stronger finding is not that ARRI won again. The more exciting signal is that film cameras remained highly active, while Blackmagic’s flagship URSA Cine 65mm 17K and URSA Cine LF 12K appeared in the Cannes 2026 camera conversation. 

Projects, DPs, cameras & lenses

1. All of a Sudden. DP: Alan Guichaoua. Camera: RED Raptor. Lenses: Leica R.
2. All The Lovers in the Night. DP: Yasuyuki Sasaki. Camera: ARRI SR3. Lenses: Zeiss Super Speeds Mark II S16.
3. Another Day. DP: Antoine Cormier. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Canon K35, Angénieux 25 to 250HR.
4. Ashes. DP: Damián García. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Cooke S4.
5. Atonement. DP: Jon Peter. Camera: ARRI 416. Lenses: ARRI Ultra16 primes, Canon 6.6 to 66mm zoom.
6. The Beloved. DP: Alex de Pablo. Cameras: Arriflex 416 Plus, Arricam LT, Arriflex 765, ARRI ALEXA 35, ARRI ALEXA Mini, ARRI ALEXA Mini LF, Sony HVR Z1E, RED Weapon Dragon, Sony FX3, Beaulieu 4008. Lenses: Hawk V Lite 2x, Vantage One, ARRI Zeiss Ultra Prime, ARRI Zeiss Ultra 16, Sennheiser 6 to 66, Angénieux 24 to 290, Fuji Cabrio 25 to 300, Sony FE 24 to 70.
7. Benimana. DP: Mostafa El Kashef. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Laowa Proteus Anamorphic 2x.
8. The Birthday Party. DP: Paul Guilhaume. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Hawk 1.3x V Lite.
9. Bitter Christmas. DP: Pau Esteve Birba. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Panavision E Series Anamorphic.
10. The Blow. DP: Martin Rit. Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Canon 11.5 to 165mm zooms, Zeiss GO.
11. La Bola Negra. DP: Jordana Gris. Cameras: Arricam LT, Moviecam. Lenses: Panavision Primo.
12. Butterfly Jam. DP: Jomo Fray. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA 65, ARRI ALEXA Mini LF, Sony VENICE 2. Lenses: Leitz THALIA 65.
13. Club Kid. DP: Adam Newport Berra. Cameras: Panavision XL2, ARRI 235, ARRI 435. Lenses: Custom close focus Panavision USZ Primes, MOY Leitz lenses, Zeiss Ultra Primes.
14. Congo Boy. DP: Adrien Lallau. Camera: Sony BURANO. Lenses: Leitz Summicron C.
15. Coward. DP: Frank van den Eeden. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Leica Summilux 35mm, 40mm, 50mm.
16. Crescendo. DP: David Chizallet. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Panavision T Series.
17. Death Has No Master. DP: Luis Armando Arteaga. Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Cooke 20 to 100mm T3.1 zoom, Lomo Superspeed primes.
18. Diamond. DP: Tim Suhrstedt. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: ARRI Signature Primes, Ancient Optics Petzvalux Primes.
19. The Diary of a Chambermaid. DP: Marius Panduru. Camera: RED Ranger. Lenses: Cooke S4.
20. Double Freedom. DP: Cobi Migliora. Camera: Arricam LT. Lenses: Cooke S4.
21. Dora. DP: Cobi Migliora. Camera: RED Monstro 8K. Lenses: Panavision Primo 70.
22. The Electric Kiss. DP: Julien Poupard. Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: Zeiss Supreme Primes.
23. Elephants in the Fog. DP: Noé Bach. Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Zeiss Super Speed, Angénieux 25 to 250 HR.
24. The End of It. DP: Andres Arochi Tinajero. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Cooke S4/i.
25. Everytime. DP: Gregory Oke. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Zeiss Standard Speeds, Cooke Cinetal 25 to 250mm, Canon 50 to 1000mm.
26. Flesh and Fuel. DP: Antoine Cormier. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA 35, ARRI ALEXA Mini, DJI Ronin 4D. Lenses: Leica R TLS Rehoused, Angénieux 25 to 250HR, Leica M0.8.
27. Forever Your Maternal Animal. DP: Nicolas Wong, CCR. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA 35, Panasonic Lumix S1II. Lenses: Canon FD, Ironglass Soviets, Dulens APO Mini Primes, Angénieux 25 to 250mm HR.
28. Full Phil. DP: Quentin Dupieux. Camera: Sony VENICE 2. Lenses: Vantage MiniHAWK.
29. Gabin. DP: François Chambe. Cameras: Sony F55, Sony BURANO. Lenses: Cooke S4.
30. A Girl’s Story. DP: Joachim Philippe. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Lomo Superspeed.
31. Goodbye Cruel World. DP: Tara Jay Bangalter. Camera: ARRI 416. Lenses: Zeiss Super Speed, Canon 11 to 165 zoom.
32. La Gradiva. DPs: Marine Atlan, Pierre Mazoyer. Camera: Sony BURANO. Lenses: Kowa Full Frame primes, Canon K35 25 to 120mm zoom, Panavision Lightweight 27 to 68mm zoom.
33. Her Private Hell. DP: Magnus Nordenhof. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Cooke Anamorphic 2x.
34. I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning. DP: Simon Tindall. Cameras: ARRI 416, DJI Ronin 4D. Lenses: Canon 7 to 63 and 11 to 165, Zeiss Super Speed primes, Cooke SP3 primes.
35. I’ll Be Gone In June. DP: Guilia Schelhas. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Cooke S2 rehoused, Cooke Varotal 18 to 100.
36. Les Matins Merveilleux. DP: Julia Mingo. Camera: RED Gemini. Lenses: Zeiss Ultra Prime.
37. Low Expectations. DP: Andreas Bjørseth. Camera: ARRI 416. Lenses: Cooke S4.
38. Madame. DP: David Chambille. Camera: Sony VENICE 2. Lenses: Kowa R.
39. A Man of His Time. DP: Olivier Boonjing. Camera: Digital Bolex D16. Lenses: Cooke 10 to 30, Canon 11 to 165, Angénieux 9.5 to 57 zooms, Zeiss T1.3, Canon TV16, Kowa CCTV primes.
40. Mariage Au Gout D’Orange. DP: Jeanne Lapoirie. Camera: Arricam LT. Lenses: Leica Summilux.
41. Marie Madeleine. DP: Nicolas Canniccioni. Camera: Sony VENICE 2. Lenses: Angénieux 17 to 80 T2.2.
42. The Match. DP: Pablo García Gallego. Cameras: Blackmagic URSA Cine 65mm 17K, Blackmagic URSA Cine LF 12K, DJI Ronin 4D. Lenses: Mamiya Sekor C by GL Optics.
43. The Meltdown. DP: Benjamín Echazarreta. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Canon K35, Angénieux 24 to 290mm Optimo.
44. Moulin. DP: Matyas Erdely, ASC, HCA. Camera: Arricam LT. Lenses: Panavision C Series Anamorphic.
45. Nagi Notes. DP: Hidetoshi Shinomiya. Cameras: RED Gemini, RED Komodo X. Lenses: Zeiss CP.3, Zeiss Ultra Prime, Angénieux HT25 to 250mm.
46. 9 Temples To Heaven. DP: Jonathan Ricquebourg. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: ARRI Master Prime.
47. Paper Tiger. DP: Joaquin Baca Asay. Cameras: Arricam LT, ARRI 435. Lenses: Bausch & Lomb Super Baltars.
48. Les Roches Rouges. DP: Carlos Alfonso Corral. Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: Zeiss Jena Primes.
49. Roma Elastica. DP: Nicholas Eveilleau. Camera: Aaton Penelope. Lenses: ARRI Master Prime, Angénieux Optimo 15 to 40 and 45 to 120.
50. Sanguine. DP: Guillaume Schiffman. Camera: RED Raptor. Lenses: Leitz Hugo.
51. Shana. DP: Victor Zebo. Camera: ARRI 416. Lenses: Canon 8 to 64mm T2.4 zoom, Canon 10.6 to 180mm T2.7 zoom.
52. The Station. DP: Amine Berrada. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Technovision Classic Scope 1.5x, Petzval 58mm, Angénieux Optimo 15 to 40mm.
53. Strawberries. DP: Tristan Galand. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Panavision Primo.
54. Les Survivants du Che. DP: Raphaël Rueb. Camera: Sony BURANO. Lenses: Angénieux 22 to 60mm and 68 to 250mm zooms.
55. Think Good. DP: Sylvestre Vannoorenberghe. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Cooke S4, Zeiss vintage T2.1, Angénieux 25 to 250.
56. Titanic Ocean. DP: Raphael Vandenbussche. Camera: Sony VENICE 2. Lenses: Ironglass Soviet MKII rehoused, ARRI Signature Zoom 24 to 75mm.
57. Too Many Beasts. DP: Noé Bach. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Canon K35, Canon K35 zoom.
58. Ulya. DP: Wojciech Staroń. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA 35, Sony a7S III. Lenses: Lomo Super Speed.
59. Ulysses. DP: Emmanuelle Collinot. Camera: Sony VENICE 1. Lenses: Blackwing Tribe 7, Atlas Orion 25mm, Angénieux 56 to 152, Canon 300/600.
60. The Unknown. DP: Tom Harari. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Cooke S4, Angénieux Optimo 28 to 76mm, Angénieux Optimo 24 to 290mm.
61. Victorian Psycho. DP: Nico Aguilar. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Canon K35.
62. A Woman’s Life. DP: Noé Bach. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Zeiss Super Speed.
63. Yesterday The Eye Didn’t Sleep. DP: Pôl Seif. Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Lomo Standard primes, Angénieux 25 to 250.

Cannes Film Festival 2026: Camera Chart

Discussion

The ALEXA 35 dominance was expected

The ALEXA 35 appearing on 27 projects confirms what most cinematographers already know. It is currently one of the most trusted cameras in prestige cinema. Many DPs in the IndieWire list describe the ALEXA 35 in familiar terms: latitude, texture, robustness, colorimetry, flexibility, and the ability to hold faces and highlights under difficult lighting conditions. Productions such as Another Day, Ashes, Bitter Christmas, Coward, Diamond, Her Private Hell, The Meltdown, The Station, Victorian Psycho, and Yesterday The Eye Didn’t Sleep all help reinforce this pattern. However, that is exactly why the ALEXA 35 headline is less exciting. It is important, but predictable. The camera has already earned its place as the modern default for serious narrative work. Cannes 2026 simply confirms its status. The real editorial value comes from what sits underneath that expected dominance.

Film cameras refused to disappear

The more compelling number is the continued presence of film cameras. ARRIFLEX and ARRICAM bodies appeared strongly across the Cannes 2026 list, with 16 combined appearances when grouped as ARRI film acquisition. That is a major signal. It means film is still a living production format at the highest festival level. Not as a nostalgic gimmick, and not as a retro decoration, but as a deliberate creative choice. Projects such as All The Lovers in the Night, Atonement, La Bola Negra, Double Freedom, Goodbye Cruel World, Low Expectations, Mariage Au Gout D’Orange, Moulin, and Paper Tiger show how broad that analog presence remains. These productions used film for different reasons. Some wanted texture and grain. Others wanted discipline, historical atmosphere, emotional realism, or the specific response of photochemical capture to highlights and skin. The key point is that film was not marginal. It held a meaningful position inside the Cannes 2026 selection. This is important because the modern camera market often pushes the narrative that resolution, sensor size, and dynamic range are the only measures of progress. Cannes suggests something more nuanced. DPs still choose tools based on emotional behavior, production philosophy, texture, and the way a format shapes performance and movement on set. Film remains one of those tools.

Blackmagic’s 17K and 12K Cine models made the list

The most interesting surprise is Blackmagic. The Match, shot by DP Pablo García Gallego, listed the Blackmagic URSA Cine 65mm 17K, the Blackmagic URSA Cine LF 12K, and the Ronin 4D. The lenses were Mamiya Sekor C by GL Optics. That is a serious package. More importantly, it places Blackmagic’s most ambitious cinema cameras inside the same Cannes conversation as ARRI, Sony, RED, and film. This does not mean Blackmagic suddenly dominated Cannes. It did not. The count is small. But prestige visibility is often about where the camera appears, not only how many times it appears. The URSA Cine 65mm 17K and URSA Cine LF 12K are Blackmagic’s statement cameras. They are built around huge resolution, large format capture, and a much more ambitious position in the cinema market than the company’s earlier affordable production models. Seeing both flagship Cine models attached to a Cannes feature is a meaningful step. For years, Blackmagic has been associated with democratization. Affordable cinema cameras. Internal RAW. High-quality images at aggressive prices. Resolve integration. Independent creators. That identity helped the company grow, but it also created a perception gap between Blackmagic and the traditional prestige cinema ecosystem. Cannes visibility helps close that gap. The presence of the 17K and 12K Cine models shows that Blackmagic is no longer only fighting in the low-budget or indie production space. It is trying to sit inside the high-end large-format discussion. The details around The Match are also relevant. The project used the Blackmagic URSA Cine 65mm 17K, the URSA Cine LF 12K, and the Ronin 4D. According to the DP’s explanation in the article, the creative goal was to build a strong personal connection with the characters and treat every close-up as an immersive experience. That makes the choice of 65mm medium format style acquisition particularly interesting.

Sony remained present, but not dominant

Sony also had a solid presence. VENICE and BURANO together reached 10 appearances in the grouped count. Sony VENICE 2 appeared on projects such as Full Phil, Madame, Marie Madeleine, and Titanic Ocean, while BURANO appeared on projects such as Congo Boy, Gabin, La Gradiva, and Les Survivants du Che. That is a healthy showing. VENICE remains respected for high end cinema, while BURANO appears to be gaining relevance for smaller crews, handheld production, low light work, documentary-influenced fiction, and productions that need a lighter Sony cinema body. Still, compared with the ALEXA 35 and the combined ARRI film presence, Sony’s position at Cannes 2026 looks strong but secondary. The BURANO presence is worth watching. Its use in multiple projects suggests that the camera is finding a place in festival cinema, especially where mobility and full frame flexibility are part of the production language.

RED had limited visibility

RED appeared through models such as the RED Raptor, RED Gemini, RED Ranger, RED Monstro 8K, RED Weapon Dragon, and RED Komodo X. However, when looking at the most repeated models, RED did not shape the chart the way ARRI did. The RED Raptor appeared 2 times, and RED Gemini appeared 2 times.  This is interesting because RED once carried a strong disruptive identity in digital cinema. At Cannes 2026, however, RED appears more scattered across specific productions rather than as the clear preferred ecosystem. The cameras are present, but the center of gravity belongs elsewhere.

The camera chart tells a broader story

The most accurate reading of Cannes 2026 is not simply “ARRI dominated.” That is true, but too shallow. The better reading is that Cannes remains a prestige environment where cinematographers move between 3 different instincts. The first is trust, which explains the ALEXA 35. The second is texture and discipline, which explains the continued use of film cameras. The third is experimentation with large-format digital ambition, which explains the appearance of Blackmagic’s URSA Cine 65mm 17K and URSA Cine LF 12K. That is what makes the list valuable. It does not show a single technological direction but a split. Some filmmakers want the safest high-end digital negative. Some still want photochemical capture. Some are exploring massive resolution and large-format digital tools from companies that were once considered outside the traditional Cannes camera hierarchy.

What happened in the previous Cannes camera charts

The Cannes 2026 chart becomes more interesting when placed next to previous YMCinema camera analyses. In Cannes 2025: ARRI ALEXA 35 Takes the Throne, Super 35 Rules Supreme, the main story was the full transition from the ALEXA Mini era to the ALEXA 35 era. The ALEXA 35 became the new dominant force, while Super 35 proved that it still owns a powerful place in prestige cinema. That article already showed that Cannes was moving away from the large format obsession and back toward a more traditional, controlled, cinematographer-friendly sensor size. Cannes 2026 continues that trend, but adds a different layer: the ALEXA 35 dominance is now expected, while film cameras and Blackmagic’s top Cine models create the more intriguing part of the chart.

In Cannes 2024 Proves that Super 35 is Back Into the Game, the focus was the return of Super 35 as the preferred format for many Cannes filmmakers. The dominant cameras included the ARRI ALEXA Mini, ARRI ALEXA 35, Sony VENICE, and ARRI Mini LF, but the broader conclusion was clear: smaller sensors remained highly relevant, especially when paired with ARRI’s image pipeline and the vast ecosystem of Super 35 glass. That context helps explain why the ALEXA 35 became so powerful later. It did not win only because it was new. It won because it gave filmmakers a modern Super 35 negative with the color, latitude, and reliability they already trusted.

In The Cameras of Cannes 2023: ARRI Mini is Still the King, the ALEXA Mini was still described as the king of Cannes, marking its 4th consecutive year as the dominant camera in the list. That was a crucial moment because it showed how long a camera can remain culturally powerful once cinematographers trust it. The ALEXA Mini was compact, reliable, affordable enough for many productions, and familiar to crews around the world. In hindsight, Cannes 2023 looks like the final strong chapter of the ALEXA Mini era before the ALEXA 35 took the throne.

The same pattern was already visible in The Cameras Behind Cannes 2022: ALEXA Mini Still Dominates. Back then, the ALEXA Mini remained the dominant camera, while the list also included a wide range of other systems, from Sony VENICE to RED Komodo and film cameras. That year reinforced the idea that Cannes often rewards dependable tools rather than the newest specifications. The ALEXA Mini kept winning because it was a proven cinema instrument, not because it was the most technically aggressive camera on paper.

Go even further back to The Cameras Behind Cannes 2019: From Cheap Camcorders to High-end ALEXA, and the same DNA appears again. Cannes showed a wide diversity of tools, including inexpensive camcorders, RED cameras, and high-end ALEXA systems, yet the ALEXA Mini already stood above the rest. That 2019 chart is important because it proves that Cannes camera trends rarely change overnight. They evolve slowly through trust, rental availability, lens compatibility, and the aesthetic confidence of cinematographers.

That is why Cannes 2026 should not be read only as another ALEXA 35 victory. It is part of a longer story. First, the ALEXA Mini dominated. Then Super 35 returned strongly. Then the ALEXA 35 took over. Now, in 2026, the expected ARRI dominance remains, but the more exciting signals are found around it. Film cameras are still holding a serious position, and Blackmagic’s URSA Cine 65mm 17K and URSA Cine LF 12K have entered the Cannes camera conversation. That is the real shift. The center is still ARRI, but the edges are becoming more interesting.

Final thoughts

The ALEXA 35 winning the Cannes 2026 camera chart is expected. The more interesting story is that film cameras remained powerful, and Blackmagic’s top Cine models entered the festival conversation with the URSA Cine 65mm 17K and URSA Cine LF 12K. That matters because prestige cinematography is not only about market share. It is about trust, cultural validation, and the ability of a camera system to appear in the hands of serious filmmakers on serious projects. Cannes 2026 still looks like an ARRI festival. But underneath that predictable headline, the camera landscape is more alive. Film is still strong. Sony remains relevant. RED is present. And Blackmagic, with its 17K and 12K flagship Cine cameras, has gained a very meaningful seat at the table.