Eye Haïdara named Mistress of ceremonies for Cannes film festival

The French actress, best known for her role in the hit comedy The Sense of Wonder, will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 79th edition on May 12 and 23, succeeding Laurent Laffite.

Eye Haïdara, 43, will take on the role of mistress of ceremonies for this year’s Cannes Film Festival, France Télévisions and Brut announced on Wednesday.

She rose to prominence with her performance in Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache’s The Sense of Wonder (2017) alongside Jean-Pierre Bacri, earning her a César nomination for most promising actress in 2018.

Her career began in theatre, leading to appearances at the Avignon Festival.

On screen, she has worked with directors including Cédric Klapisch, Michel Hazanavicius, and Lisa Azuelos.

More recently, she starred in Les Femmes du square (2022) and currently appears in La Maison des femmes.

Upcoming projects include Mata by Rachel Lang and L’Objet du délit by Agnès Jaoui.

Cannes 2026

This year’s festival, presided over by South Korean director Park Chan-wook, will award honorary Palmes d’Or to The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson and American singer-actress Barbra Streisand.

The official selection is set to be announced on April 9.