The Cannes market arrived this year the way it often does: slowly, then all at once. On the eve of the 2026 Marché du Film (May 12-20), there was a late surge of fresh packages — prestige auteur plays, elevated genre films and star-driven indies — a tentative sign of green shoots for an global film industry badly in need of some positive momentum. There are few of the giant $50 million-plus action packages that once defined the Marché. The economics of independently financing big-budget films have become increasingly unforgiving, pushing producers and sales companies toward leaner, sharper concepts with clearer theatrical identities. The indie market is also in flux, with hits coming from all over, but little in the way of a model to copy.…