The 77th Cannes Film Festival ended over the weekend. For those who may have missed it, or just want a reminder, here DirectHer’s round-up of key moments that you may have missed from the festival.
The jury
This year’s jury president was American actor and filmmaker Greta Gerwig. The jury president’s role is to act as the main voice in crowning the winners of the Official Competition.
The role of jury president goes to a personality in cinema who is internationally recognised for their career and contributions to the industry.
Aside from Gerwig, there were four other women on this year’s jury, including Ebru Ceylan, Lily Gladstone, Nadine Labaki, and Eva Green.
The jury watches all the films in the Official Competition and decides who will receive the top prize, the Palme d’Or.
Palme d’Or
Sean Baker’s Anora was announced as this year’s Palme d’Or winner during the festival’s closing ceremony on Saturday, May 25th.
Four female filmmakers were in competition this year. You can read more about them here.
In addition to the main prizes, the Honorary Palme d’Or is given to directors or actors who have achieved a remarkable body of work but have never won a competitive Palme d’Or.
This year, three honorary Palme d’Or awards have been distributed; George Lucas, legendary Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli, and Meryl Streep have all been celebrated for their contributions to the film industry.
Meryl Streep was this year’s guest of honour, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the opening ceremony.
Recognised for six decades in the industry, Streep has starred in some of the biggest blockbuster hits, including Mamma Mia, The Devil Wears Prada, Kramer vs Kramer, and The Iron Lady.
Studio Ghibli was the second to receive the award. Their films are hailed as some of the greatest of all time and include Ponyo, Spirited Away, and last year’s The Boy and the Heron.
George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars franchise and Indiana Jones films, received his award at the closing ceremony alongside the other main awards.
Notable events and guests
Guests attending the festival included Hunter Schafer, who stars in Kinds of Kindness, which premiered at Cannes on Monday, the 17th, Jane Fonda, and Anya Taylor-Joy for Furiosa.
Esteemed director Francis Ford Coppola received a 10-minute-standing ovation at the world premiere of his independently financed blockbuster Megalopolis.
Although it features a large ensemble cast, including Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel, the film received a mixture of boos and cheers from the audience, branded a ‘mess’ by some critics.
Indian cinema
This year’s festival has enabled a huge step for Indian cinema—it is the first time ever that a female Indian filmmaker is in competition for the Palme d’Or, and seven other Indian-made films are being shown throughout the festival period.
All We Imagine as Light, written and directed by Payal Kapadia, won the Grand Prix, the festival’s runner-up prize to the Palme. This is a huge landmark not just for female filmmakers but Indian cinema being recognised internationally. There has only been one Indian recipient of the Palme d’Or: in 1946, at the first-ever Cannes Film Festival, Chetan Anand won for Neecha Nagar.
Cannes deputy artistic director Christian Jeune said: “The Indian presence is extremely strong this year.
“India and China are important markets for films. They are making a strong comeback to Cannes.”
For more on Cannes, check out DirectHer’s other Cannes pieces.
