The Cannes Film Festival is one of the most renowned and beloved festivals in the world. A number of the most iconic films of all time held their premieres here, from Pulp Fiction to Boyz in the Hood and, more recently, Aftersun and Anatomy of a Fall.
If you need any and all information about the festival, here’s the rundown.
The festival began in 1946 and has been held every year since more or less (some editions had to be cancelled for the likes of Covid and other world events) and has become a staple of French culture and cinema.
It attracts a number of high-profile films that play both in and out of the main competition.
Being in the official competition means competing for the festival’s top prize, the Palme D’or (or Golden Palm). Winning the Palme is a high honour bestowed upon films like Taxi Driver, Apocalypse Now, and Parasite. Winning will help put a film on the track to becoming a certified classic. Typically, around 20 films compete in the main competition.
That isn’t the only prize a film can win at the festival, however, as there are multiple other prizes films in competition can win. These include the Grand Prix (the runner-up award to the Palme), Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, the Jury Prize and Best Short Film. A film can only win one award, and there may only be one tie. A film can under certain circumstances, win one of the acting awards and the screenplay award, but otherwise, no film can win more than once.
Outside those prizes, there are additional awards, including the Palm Dog for best canine performance in a film, which includes the breakout star of last year’s Palme d’Or winner, Messi, from Anatomy of a Fall
These awards are determined by the festival’s jury, which consists of highly revered individuals in the film industry worldwide. Being appointed the president of the jury is, in particular, an honour that cements the status of the individual chosen. It is typically a director, but in the past, it has varied with the likes of Cate Blanchett, Robert de Niro, and even Tennessee Williams taking on the role.
In addition to the main competition, there’s the secondary competition, Un Certain Regard (A Certain Look). This competition has its own jury and selects around 20 films. It is where smaller films and filmmakers are given the prestige of having their films played at the festival. Poor Things (2023) director Yorgos Lanthimos, whose new film Kinds of Kindness played this year’s festival, won the top prize in 2009 for Dogtooth.
In an interview with the New York Times, Thierry Frémaux, Cannes’s artistic director, said Un Certain Regard’s purpose was ‘to bring out new trends, new paths, new countries of cinema. It’s a selection that favours young filmmakers, especially female directors, and prepares the emergence of future generations’.
Cannes indulges in splashier blockbusters, too, though they typically are screened out of competition (though both Shrek and Shrek 2 did, in fact, compete for the Palme). This year’s festival saw Furiousa: A Mad Max Saga screen at the festival, for instance.
Beyond the films themselves, Cannes is a cultural event in its own right. The red carpet draws eyes from beyond the film landscape. It’s a glitzy, glamorous affair that helps provide the festival its prestige and renown.
Other festivals like Sundance, Venice, and Toronto are massively important, but none quite have the reach of Cannes. This makes it perhaps the most exciting festival for film fans and non-film fans alike, as there is plenty to discuss in the two weeks it runs each May.
To find more about this year’s Cannes and other information, check out DirectHer’s Cannes page.
