Sebastian Stan brings Palme d'Or winner Fjord to New York ahead of Oct. 9 opening

Sebastian Stan asked a New York audience to question what they believe as Palme d'Or winner Fjord arrived in the city days before it opens in theatres on Oct. 9.

The film screened on Sunday night at the New York Film Festival, where Stan introduced it at Alice Tully Hall and then joined director Cristian Mungiu for a Q&A after the showing, according to Variety. That was his message on the night. People must have the courage to recognise their own flaws, no matter their belief systems, and to consider how those beliefs shape how they judge each other.

Stan stars as a conservative Romanian father, with Renate Reinsve playing his wife. The couple have immigrated to Norway from Romania and fall under suspicion of child abuse, as listed by the festival in its synopsis, Film at Lincoln Center. The story centres on the clash of values that follows when a religious family relocates from Romania to Norway, Reuters reported from Cannes. Mungiu said the script was inspired by real-life cases in Scandinavian countries.

The New York screening follows a strong run in France. Fjord was presented at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a raucous standing ovation from the crowd, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It went on to win this year's Palme d'Or, the top prize at Cannes, and was later named to the Spotlight lineup at New York, a sidebar for notable new films, Variety reported. The film is Mungiu's English-language debut.

For Stan, the New York date had a personal link. He was born in Romania and immigrated to the United States at age 12. A decade ago, he and his mother attended the festival premiere of Mungiu's 2016 film Graduation.

The festival screening puts Fjord in front of American audiences just before release. This year's festival, the 64th edition, runs from September 25 to October 12, 2026. The film opens in theatres on Oct. 9.

What makes this stop stand out is timing. The Cannes win is decided. The theatrical opening is next. New York was the handover in between.