After two weeks of nonstop cinema, the 77th Cannes Film Festival concluded with a gala ceremony on Saturday night. The winners were revealed, highlighting the best in film from around the world.
Top Honor: Palme d’Or
The prestigious Palme d’Or went to Sean Baker’s film, ‘Anora’, a comedy about a sex worker. Baker, visibly nervous and shaking, thanked the jury and expressed his disbelief at winning. He mentioned that winning Cannes’ top prize had been his goal for the past 30 years. Baker also acknowledged inspirations like Francis Ford Coppola and David Cronenberg, both of whom had films in this year’s competition. Notably, Baker is the first American director to win the Palme d’Or since Terrence Malick in 2011.
Jury’s Praise for ‘Anora’
Jury president Greta Gerwig commented that ‘Anora’ reminded the jury of classic film structures, drawing comparisons to directors Ernst Lubitsch and Howard Hawks. She praised the film for its truthfulness and unexpected elements.
Neon’s Winning Streak
‘Anora’ marks the fifth consecutive Neon film to win the Palme d’Or, following ‘Anatomy of a Fall’, ‘Triangle of Sadness’, ‘Titane’, and ‘Parasite’. While Neon has not set a U.S. release date yet, it is expected to launch in early October, a strategy that has previously proven successful.
Grand Prix
The Grand Prix went to ‘All We Imagine As Light’ by Payal Kapadia. This marks the first Indian film to compete at Cannes since 1994. Kapadia used her acceptance speech to show solidarity with festival workers protesting for better conditions, displaying a button from the collective representing these workers.
Special Awards and Recognitions
Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ received a special award from the jury. Rasoulof, a dissident director, fled Iran weeks before the festival.
Best Actress and Actor
The best actress award went to the ensemble female cast of ‘Emilia Pérez’, including Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Karla Sofía Gascón. Gascón made history as the first trans actress to win at Cannes. ‘Emilia Pérez’ also won the jury prize.
Jesse Plemons was awarded best actor for his roles in ‘Kinds of Kindness’, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Plemons played three distinct characters in this anthology film.
Other Notable Awards
- Best Director: Miguel Gomes for ‘Grand Tour’
- Best Screenplay: Coralie Fargeat for ‘The Substance’
- Camera d’Or for Best First Film: Halfdan Ullman Tondel for ‘Armand’
- Palme d’Or for Best Short Film: Nebojsa Slijepcevic for ‘The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent’
George Lucas Honored
George Lucas received an honorary Palme d’Or for his contributions to cinema, from his first feature ‘THX-1138’ to the ‘Star Wars‘ and ‘Indiana Jones’ franchises. Lucas was presented the award by Francis Ford Coppola, and he expressed gratitude and nostalgia for his early filmmaking days in California.
Mixed Reactions from Critics
This year’s Cannes saw mixed reactions from critics. Films like ‘All We Imagine As Light’ and ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ were universally praised, while others, such as Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ and ‘Emilia Pérez’, received varied reviews. Sean Baker’s ‘Anora* was particularly lauded by U.S. critics but faced criticism in Europe for being too mainstream.
Ali Abbasi’s ‘The Apprentice’, a film about Donald Trump, garnered significant attention, especially after Trump’s lawyers tried to prevent its U.S. release. However, the film’s conventional approach and sympathetic portrayal of Trump’s early years were not well-received by all critics.
Full List of Winners
- Palme d’Or: Sean Baker, ‘Anora’
- Grand Prix: ‘All We Imagine As Light’
- Jury Prize: ‘Emilia Pérez‘
- Best Director: Miguel Gomes, ‘Grand Tour’
- Best Screenplay: Coralie Fargeat, ‘The Substance’
- Best Actress: Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, ‘Emilia Pérez’
- Best Actor: Jesse Plemons, ‘Kinds of Kindness’
- Honorary Palme d’Or: George Lucas
- Special Award: Mohammad Rasoulof, ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’
- Camera d’Or for Best First Film: Halfdan Ullman Tondel, ‘Armand’
- Palme d’Or for Best Short Film: Nebojsa Slijepcevic, ‘The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent’
