Congo Boy emerged as one of the standout titles at the 2026 Un Certain Regard awards at the Cannes Film Festival, with lead actor Bradley Fiomona Dembeasset winning the Best Actor prize for his performance in the acclaimed film directed by Rafiki Fariala from Democratic Republic of Congo.
The recognition places Congo Boy among the most celebrated films in this year’s Un Certain Regard section, which spotlights bold auteur cinema and emerging voices from around the world.
Held as part of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, the Un Certain Regard selection featured 19 feature films, including six debut features competing for the Caméra d’Or. The section was chaired by French actress Leïla Bekhti alongside a jury made up of international filmmakers and creatives.
While Austrian filmmaker Sandra Wollner won the top Un Certain Regard Prize for Everytime, and Abinash Bikram Shahearned the Jury Prize for Elephants in the Fog, Congo Boy drew significant attention through Dembeasset’s award-winning performance.
The 2026 Un Certain Regard lineup will continue with special rerun screenings in Paris from May 29 to June 16 across selected cinemas including UGC Gobelins, MK2 Quai de Seine, L’Arlequin, and Pathé Convention.
