Butterfly Jam
American drama film
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Butterfly Jam is a 2026 French drama film directed by Kantemir Balagov, in his English-language debut, co-written with Marina Stepnova.[2] It stars Talha Akdogan, Riley Keough, Barry Keoghan and Harry Melling, and follows the Circassian diaspora in New Jersey.[3][1]
- Kantemir Balagov
- Marina Stepnova
- Pascal Caucheteux
- Alexander Rodnyansky
- Pauline Lamy
- Gaetan Rousseau
- Talha Akdogan
- Riley Keough
- Barry Keoghan
- Harry Melling
| Butterfly Jam | |
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| Directed by | Kantemir Balagov |
| Screenplay by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Jomo Fray |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Le Pacte[1] |
Release date |
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Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | English |
The film had its world premiere as the opening film of the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 13 May.
Premise
16 years old Pyteh splits his time between the wrestling mat and his family’s struggling Circassian diner in Newark. A single impulsive decision by his hustling father changes the course of his life, shaping a tale of pride, legacy, and masculinity.[1]
Cast
- Talha Akdogan as Temir / Pyteh[4]
- Barry Keoghan as Azik
- Riley Keough as Zalya
- Harry Melling as Marat
- Zaramok Bachok as Kantik
- Jaliyah Richards as Alika
- Michael Kupisk as Craig
- Tommy McInnis as Paramedic
- Monica Bellucci
Production
Development
The film was first reported as in development in 2022, shortly after Kantemir Balagov left Russia for exile in California following 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, which Balagov and his girlfriend Kira Kovalenko publicly criticized on their social media.[5] The screenplay was written by Balagov and Marina Stepnova, marking his English-language directing debut.
It was produced by Pascal Caucheteux for Why Not Productions and Alexander Rodnyansky for AR Content. Executive producers included Livia Van der Staay from Goodfellas. It was also co-produced by Arte France Cinéma and Pictanovo (Hauts-de-France region).[6][7]
Filming
Principal photography began on 2 April 2025 and took place in Northern France.[4] Harry Melling joined the cast in early April 2025,[8] followed by Tommy McInnis and Monica Bellucci.[7]
Jomo Fray was the director of photography, marking his first collaboration with Balagov.[4] Angelo Zamparutti was the production designer, while Judy Shrewsbury was the costume designer.[4]
Post-production
The film entered post-production by June 2025.[7]
Release
The film had its world premiere at the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 13 May.[9]
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 48% based on 25 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10.[10] On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the film holds a score of 58/100 based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[11]