Gong Li (left) and Jane Fonda are on stage during the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 2026. Photo: VCG

At the 79th Cannes Film Festival, on Tuesday evening local time in France, actress Gong Li delivered the opening address and announced the opening of the film festival in Chinese. This marks the first time in Cannes history that a Chinese-born performer has delivered the opening address according to media reports, drawing widespread attention on Chinese social media platforms. At this year's festival, two Chinese AI-generated short dramas were also selected for the official screening section for the first time, becoming another focus for netizens.

At the opening ceremony, Gong Li appeared alongside 89-year-old Hollywood star Jane Fonda. Videos posted on social media platform Sina Weibo show that Gong first said in English that she felt deeply honored to represent Chinese cinema at Cannes. She pointed out that film has the power to connect people across languages, cultures, and generations. She then announced in Chinese the opening of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, which was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.

One Sina Weibo user commented, "With Asian face, a Chinese voice - this is cultural confidence." "This marks the first time a Chinese-born actress has delivered the opening address at Cannes. It is truly significant."

At this year's festival, two Chinese AI-produced short dramas - The Golden Tomb Seeker and Tower of Hunger - stood out from over 1,000 entries from over 120 countries and were selected as two of the 21 official screening works, attracting much attention. According to Shanghai-based The Paper, this is the first time fully AI-produced Chinese short dramas have entered the official screening section at Cannes.

"The selection of these two works is not only a testament to the strength of China's AI technology, but more importantly, it demonstrates how experienced creators can use AI to tell compelling stories and explore a new, efficient, and high-quality model for sharing Chinese culture with the world," Shi Wenxue, a veteran film critic based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Chinese films Farewell My Concubine and Torino Shadow were selected for the "Cannes Classics" section at this year's festival. Director Chen Kaige's Farewell My Concubine won the Palme d'Or at the 46th Cannes International Film Festival in 1993. Chinese director Jia Zhangke's short film Torino Shadow will have its premiere in the "Cannes Classics" section, according to Xinhua News Agency.

This year's Cannes International Film Festival runs until May 23, with awards to be announced that day.