The Disney+ series “Alice and Steve” swept the Cannes series on Tuesday night, winning Best Series as well as the Special Interpretation Award and the Student Award.
Commissioned by Disney+’s UK office as part of Disney+’s foray into comedy, ‘Alice and Steve’ is the latest film from ‘Sex Education’ writer-director Sophie Goodhart in her first creative role. Clerkenwell Films, which produced Baby Reindeer, has always been a front-runner in the Cannes series’ main competition.
Alice and Steve, set to be released worldwide by Disney+, stars Jermaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows) and Nicola Walker (The Split) as a pair of platonic middle-aged friends who once dated, but their relationship is tested when Steve co-sleeps with Alice’s 26-year-old daughter Izzy and they start dating.
“What’s remarkable about this series is that it starts with the premise that you can never side with Steve or Izzie, but then you end up exchanging loyalties. These people fall in love, and they’re perfect for each other in a way, and then Alice becomes a problem. They all end up really, really hurting each other. That strikes me as very similar to real life,” Walker told Variety at the Cannes series.
“I love comedies that are a little cringeworthy. That’s definitely my sweet spot,” Goodhart said. “My dream is that people walk away from the show without being too judgmental,” she added.
“Cannes Series is not only focused on drama, but also on comedy and all genres. We want people to experience different types of shows,” Cannes Series artistic director Alvin Lewis told Variety. “Writing comedy is really difficult. This drama is very well written in terms of dialogue and character building, and benefits from a great cast.”
In another high-profile win, the Cannes Series acting award went to Lusa Söderholm, star of Finland’s Guts, produced by Gemina Jokisalo of the feminist porn tale Money Shot.
It was commissioned by Finnish publisher Ale and distributed by About Premium Content, and is billed as a “black swan in the snow.” Söderholm plays Anna, a top cross-country skier who gets another chance to become a world champion.
“Jokisalo has a way of portraying characters and has given her actresses great material. It’s great to celebrate a new star, and in a year with so many non-fiction titles about sports, it’s great to see a fiction series win,” Lewis said.
The screenplay won another top accolade, “I Always Sometimes” by Marta Basols, Marta Loza and Almudena Monzu. This drama is a poignant and realistic portrayal of single motherhood and the emotional turmoil it causes.
Typical of the work of Movistar Plus+ and Suma Content, Javier Ambrosi and Javier Calvo’s production label (Velvet, La Mesias), the series offers a new perspective on motherhood, depicting the harsh economic realities of a single mother who must balance raising her children and making a living as apartment rents skyrocket in gentrifying Barcelona.
“I Always Somebody” took seven years to write and produce. “All of the dialogue in this series is really well thought out, whether it’s anticipating events or touching on deeper themes,” Bathors told Variety.
A second comedy, “Boho,” won in the short series category. Created by Abby Boutkabout and directed by Olympia Alert, this millennial female-led drama is set in Antwerp’s vibrant Borgerhout district, boasts intricately choreographed dance and music, and tells the intertwined stories of three young friends. The series is produced by Bani Jay’s Flemish production company Johnny Depony, whose “The Big Fuckup” was a highlight of the Cannes Series 2025.
“Boho is full of generosity and life. It’s a fun series that reflects Belgium’s multicultural community. We’re really happy to have a fresh and fun series win in these days when there’s not much fun out there,” Lewis said.
It was Flanders’ second win for “The Deal with Iran,” produced by brothers Lennart and Maarten Steig (“Where Dreams Sleep,” “DNA”), which won best documentary series. In the VRT miniseries, a thwarted bomb attack near Paris sparks a high-stakes investigation and shadow war, exposing secret networks, political pressure, and a deadly game of hostage diplomacy. “This series is extremely fascinating, shot like a spy thriller with a clever combination of restored and archival footage,” Lewis said.
The award for Best Music went to Jonas Wikstrand’s “Summer of 1985” (produced by Media Res and directed by Bjorn Stein of The Bridge). His score captures both the wistful nostalgia and dark elements of a fantasy coming-of-age story, making it one of the most promising commercial titles in the Cannes series competition.
“Sheep,” an architectural strain of perhaps offbeat humor from Germany and Austria and set in a world where sheep still hope to tame humans, won the Cannes Series High School Award in the short series category.
“Sheep,” an architectural strain of perhaps offbeat humor from Germany and Austria and set in a world where sheep still hope to tame humans, won the Cannes Series High School Award in the short series category.
The Europe 1 Audience Award for the year’s best French-language series went to Québec author Florence Lompre’s “Empathy.” The series is a moving depiction of the epic and tragic emotional battles of mentally ill people with their selves, often with great humor.
The Air France Travelers’ Choice Award went to Canal + Creation Originale’s The Corsican Line, which reunites Mafiosa writer and director Pierre Lessia, and Media One’s Image et Compagnie, led by Nicole Colette. This gritty mafia thriller was screened out of competition at the 2025 Cannes series.
Cannes Series 2026 Winners:
series
“Alice and Steve” (UK)
Created by: Sophie Goodhart
short series
“Boho” (Belgium)
Author: Abby Boutkabout
documentary series
“Trading with Iran” (Belgium)
Created by Lennart and Maarten Steig
Script
Marta Basols, Marta Rosa, Almudena Monzu
“Always sometimes” (Spain)
Author: Marta Bassols, Marta Loza
performance
Rosa Soderholm
“Guts” (Finland, Slovenia)
Created by: Jemina Jokisalo
Special Interpretation Award
ensemble cast
“Alice and Steve”
music
Jonas Wikstrand
“Summer 1985” (Sweden)
Directed by Bjorn Stein
High School Student Award – Short Series
“Sheep” (Austria, Germany)
Created by Alex Reinberg and Leni Gruber
Student Award – Best Series
“Alice and Steve”
Europa 1 Audience Award
“Empathy” (Canada)
Created by Florence Lompre
Air France Travelers Choice Award
“Corsica” (France)
Author: Pierre Leccia
