Butterfly Jam is an upcoming French drama film, written and directed by Kantemir Balagov, in his English-language debut. It stars Talha Akdogan, Riley Keough, Barry Keoghan and Harry Melling, and follows the Circassian diaspora in New Jersey.
It is expected to be released in 2026.
The film centres on a Circassian diaspora in New Jersey, and a young man who is training to be a wrestler whilst also working in his father's Circassian restaurant.
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. The screenplay was written by Balagov and Maria 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).
Principal photography began on 2 April 2025 and took place in Northern France. Harry Melling joined the cast in early April 2025, followed by Tommy McInnis and Monica Bellucci.
Jomo Fray was the director of photography, marking his first collaboration with Balagov. Angelo Zamparutti was the production designer, while Judy Shrewsbury was the costume designer.
The film entered post-production by June 2025.
The film is expected to be released sometime in 2026, alongside a world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival where Balagov is a regular.