Bringing a turbulent world together through cinema, the 78th Cannes Film Festival went off largely without a hitch —— despite hosting a day of films honoring Ukraine at the outset, two persecuted Iranian filmmakers in competition and provocative films from both Israel and Gaza in various sections. That is, unless you count the massive power blackout that hit the entire region on the final day of the festival, disrupting screenings and causing general confusion among festgoers.
Fortunately, the festival had backup generators running, ensuring that the show would go on at the Palais, where jury president Juliette Binoche and eight other film artists took the stage to present their awards at the closing ceremony.
The Grand Prix — basically the runner-up for the Palme — went to Nowegian director Joachim Trier’s family drama “Sentimental Value,” about a difficult filmmaker’s attempt to reconcile his estranged relationship with his actor daughter by casting her in his most personal film.
“Little Sister” star Nadia Melliti won the best actress prize. Best actor honors went to Wagner Moura for “The Secret Agent,” in which he plays a father who disguises his identity in an attempt to evade assassination during Brazil’s military dictatorship. Kleber Mendonça Filho won best director for the same film.
In town to support his film “Heads or Tails?” (in which he plays Buffalo Bill), John C. Reilly surprised the audience by singing “La vie en rose” — with apologies, in English. “Somehow something unexpected always happens when I’m in Cannes,” said Reilly, presenting the best screenplay prize to Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for “Young Mothers.”
The jury prize was split between Spanish director Olivier Laxe for “Sirat” and “Sound of Falling” from German helmer Mascha Schilinski, arguably the two most original voices in this year’s competition.
The jury also gave a special prize to Chinese director Bi Gan for “Resurrection.”
Alice Rohrwacher presented the Camera d’Or trophy for first feature to ”The President’s Cake” director Hasan Hadi, who accepted the first award ever presented to an Iraqi film in Cannes.
In addition to Binoche, this year’s majority-female jury included Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher, Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia, French-Moroccan writer Leïla Slimani, American stars Halle Berry and Jeremy Strong, South Korean auteur Hong Sangsoo, Mexican director Carlos Reygadas and Congolese filmmaker Dieudo Hamadi.
Full list of prizes below.
COMPETITION
Palme d’Or: TBA
Grand Prix: TBA
Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho, “The Secret Agent”
Actor: Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent”
Actress: Nadia Melliti, “Little Sister”
Jury Prize — TIE: “Sirat,” Olivier Laxe AND “Sound of Falling,” Mascha Schilinski
Special Award (Prix Spécial): “Resurrection,” Bi Gan
Screenplay: TBA
OTHER PRIZES
Camera d’Or: ”The President’s Cake,” Hasan Hadi
Camera d’Or Special Mention: “My Fther’s Shadow,” Akinola Davies Jr.
Short Film Palme d’Or: “I’m Glad You’re Dead Now,” Tawfeek Barhom
Short Film Special Mention: “Ali,” Adnan Al Rajeev
Golden Eye Documentary Prize: “Imago,” Déni Oumar Pitsaev
Golden Eye Special Jury Prize: “The Six Billion Dollar Man,” Eugene Jarecki
Queer Palm: “Little Sister,” Hafsia Heerzi
Palme Dog: Panda, “The Love That Remains”
FIPRESCI Award (Competition): “The Secret Agent,” Kleber Mendonça Filho
FIPRESCI Award (Un Certain Regard): “Urchin,” Harris Dickinson
FIPRESCI Award (Parallel Sections): “Dandelion’s Odyssey,” Momoko Seto
UN CERTAIN REGARD
Un Certain Regard Award: “The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo,” Diego Céspedes
Jury Prize: “A Poet,” Simón Mesa Soto
Best Director Prize: Tarzan and Arab Nasser, “Once Upon a Time in Gaza”
Performance Awards: Cléo Diara, “I Only Rest in the Storm”; Frank Dillane, “Urchin”
Best Screenplay: Harry Lighton, “Pillion”
Special Mention: “Norah,” Tawfik Alzaidi
DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT
Europa Cinemas Label: “Wild Foxes,” Valéry Carnoy
Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: “Wild Foxes,” Valéry Carnoy
Audience Choice Award: “The President’s Cake,” Hasan Hadi
CRITICS’ WEEK
Grand Prize: “A Useful Ghost,” Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
French Touch Prize: “Imago,” Déni Oumar Pitsaev
GAN Foundation Award for Distribution: Le Pacte, “Left-Handed Girl”
Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award: Théodore Pellerin, “Nino”
Leitz Cine Discovery Prize (short film): “L’mina,” Randa Maroufi
Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: Guillermo Galoe and Victor Alonso-Berbel, “Sleepless City”
Canal+ Short Film Award: “Erogenesis,” Xandra Popescu
IMMERSIVE COMPETITION
“From Dust,” Michel van der Aa
