On April 14, during a conference, the organizers of La Quinzaine des Cinéastes (Filmmakers’ Fortnight or Directors’ Fortnight), announced the productions that will participate in an exhibition parallel to the Cannes Festival.
The Quinzaine des Cinéastes is one of the most prestigious parallel sections of the Cannes Festival, considered along with Berlin and Venice as one of the three most important film festivals in the world.
Organized by the Société des Réalisatrices et Réalisateurs de Films (SRF), La Quinzaine des Cinéastes is internationally recognized for highlighting works of strong authorial identity and new voices in contemporary cinema and the 58th edition, which will take place from May 13 to 26, will feature productions from several countries.
“Under a broad view, the 58th edition of the Quinzaine des Cinéastes presents 19 feature films and 9 short films as part of our new selection,” the organizers indicated.
“We will present works from 19 countries on five continents, with outstanding contributions from countries with little or no international projection, such as Nigeria, Sudan, Guatemala, Venezuela and Cyprus,” they commented.
According to the organization, the selection for 2026 brings together established filmmakers, emerging voices (including 6 debut films) and directors whose artistic voices are still being defined.
“We are pleased with the important presence of documentaries (3 feature films and 2 short films) and animation (3 feature films and 2 short films), which show very unique works that demonstrate the exceptional richness and vitality of both genres,” they added.
During the conference it was announced that Guatemalan production Early morningwill have its world premiere.
“Our short film, Early morningwill have its world premiere at Quinzaine des Cinéastes, within the framework of the Cannes Film Festival. “We couldn’t be happier or more grateful to those who made this film possible!” the creators posted on social media.
Early morningthe Guatemalan short film
Early morning is a short film directed by Guatemalan Sebastián Lojo and according to his production team, they agree that being part of the selection in the Quinzaine des Cinéastes represents not only an artistic achievement, but also a historic moment for national cinema.
“Early morning It is positioned as one of the first short films with a majority of Guatemalan creative and technical team to reach this selection within Cannes. Approximately between 85% and 90% of the team is made up of Guatemalan professionals, consolidating a real commitment to the local industry and national talent,” explained the production of the Guatemalan short film.
“Early morning not only represents a film selected at Cannes. “It represents a generation of filmmakers that continues to build industry, memory and representation from Guatemala to the world,” they added.
Synopsis of Early morning
Koki, a gardener who lives in Guatemala City He hides a secret: he is a vampire. During the day he lives with his wife and young son; At night it feeds in the shadows.
Together, the parents try to protect the child from the curse. But when hunger awakens in the child something irreversible happens, sealing an inevitable inheritance.
Director’s intention
Madrugada is a short film by Sebastián Lojo, a Guatemalan director who has worked on feature films and short films filmed in Malaysia, Lebanon, Canada, Italy, the UK, the US, Guatemala and Turkey.
His debut work, The Ghostswas the first Guatemalan film selected for the Bright Future competition at the Rotterdam International Film Festival (IFFR, 2020).
According to Lojo, in Guatemala, violence can feel inherited, like a curse passed from one generation to the next.
“Growing up and living in the city, I learned the weight of silence and reserve on people’s faces. The past is almost never talked about, and yet it continues to shape how people live and how they relate to each other,” he explained.
According to the Guatemalan director, in Early morningvampirism became a way of approaching that inheritance, That is why it presents a father who tries to protect his son from the curse he carries within him, because he believes he can contain it. However, when he fails, he must accept that love does not erase the weight of history.
“I was not interested in the vampire as an exceptional being, but as a worker, an exhausted father condemned to support his family through an act that corrodes him morally. I wanted to explore a family that loves each other deeply, but is bound by something violent that neither of them can fully articulate. The father who harms to survive. The mother who protects by helping to hide the horror. The son who inherits before being able to choose,” added Lojo.
“That’s why, It was important to me that the film remain anchored in the real lives of those who inhabit it. I collaborated with non-professional actors and we filmed in spaces that belong to their daily lives. As a result, the film took shape through that encounter between the fantastic and the material reality of bodies, homes and routines,” he concluded.
Lojo continues with the development of his second feature film that will also be titled Early morning, because his short film was developed as part of that production. Besides, is in pre-production of the feature film The invisible ones, directed by Andrés Rodríguez, as director of photography.
Premiere of Early morning
The short film Early morning will have its world premiere on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the Croisette Theater (Théâtre Croisette), at 11:30 a.m. (French Time).
According to the organizers, this theater is located in the basement of the JW Marriott Hotel. It was renamed the Jacques Doniol Valcroze Theater in homage to one of the founders of the Quinzaine des Cinéastes and was built on the foundations of the former Palais Croisette, the original main venue of the Cannes Film Festival.
Early morning will be screened for the second time at Studio 13, a Cannes show hall, on Friday, May 22, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. (French Time).
Team Early morning
Director
- Sebastian Lojo (Guatemala)
Assistant director
- Andres Rodríguez (Guatemala)
Screenwriters
- Remi Itani, Sebastián Lojo (Lebanon/Guatemala)
Producers
- Mario Estrada (Guatemala)
- Sergio Ramírez (Guatemala)
- Remi Itani (Lebanon)
- Sebastian Lojo (Guatemala)
Production coordination
- Mario Estrada (Guatemala)
Production assistance
- Diego Göbel (Guatemala)
- Elmer Yaxon (Guatemala)
Director of Photography (DoP)
First assistant camera
- Manuel Solano (Guatemala)
Second camera assistant
Steadicam
- Loco González (Guatemala)
Production Designer
- Alexander Sosa (Guatemala)
Art Director
- Andrea Galicia (Guatemala)
art assistance
- Guillermo Puente (Guatemala)
- Ana Maria Escobar (Guatemala)
Special Effects Director
- Fernando Gálvez (Guatemala)
Special effects assistance
- Gerardo Ponciano (Guatemala)
Catering
- Antonio Donado (Guatemala)
Safety on set
- Eddie Surqué (Guatemala)
Editors
- Cem Demirer (Türkiye)
- Remi Itani (Lebanon)
Direct Sound
- Carlos Marroquín (Guatemala)
Sound Design/Mixing
- Dinis Henriques, Tiago Cardoso (Portugal)
Distribution
- Jorman Navas — Jorman (Guatemala)
- Marvin Navas — Koki (Guatemala)
- Alejandra Muñoz — Andrea (Guatemala)
Production
- A La Drift Cinema (Guatemala)
Co-production
- Har Films (Türkiye)
- Caleidocs (Guatemala)
- Cinespacio (Guatemala)
- Harsis Films (UK)
- Qalbi Productions (UK)