France: Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s poignant drama It Was Just an Accident clinched the coveted Palme d’Or at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, marking a powerful testament to his artistic resilience shaped by his imprisonment.
The 184-minute film explores the harrowing memories of five former detainees who attempt to identify their torturer, despite all having been blindfolded during captivity.
Blending absurdist humor with intense emotion, Panahi’s film left a profound impact on the jury and global audiences alike. The festival’s final day faced an unprecedented challenge when a sudden blackout disrupted screenings and events across the Palais des Festivals.
Despite the chaos, backup generators ensured the awards ceremony went ahead on schedule, hosted by jury president Juliette Binoche alongside eight notable film industry figures.
Norwegian director Joachim Trier received the Grand Prix for his intimate family drama Sentimental Value. The film delves into a filmmaker’s effort to reconnect with his estranged daughter by casting her in a deeply personal project.
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In his acceptance speech, Trier reflected on the power of art as “a language of unification,” highlighting cinema’s ability to bridge emotional divides.
The Best Actress award was presented to Nadia Melliti for her compelling role in Little Sister, while Wagner Moura earned Best Actor for his portrayal of a father concealing his identity during Brazil’s military dictatorship in The Secret Agent. The film also garnered the Best Director award for Kleber Mendonça Filho, further cementing its critical acclaim.
Making history, Iraqi filmmaker Hasan Hadi won the Camera d’Or for his debut feature The President’s Cake, the first Iraqi film to receive this prestigious Cannes accolade. The film also won the Audience Choice Award during the Directors’ Fortnight, highlighting its widespread appeal.
The jury was composed entirely of women, including Indian director Payal Kapadia, actress Halle Berry, writer Leila Slimani, and South Korean auteur Hong Sangsoo.
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Major Awards at the 78th Cannes Film Festival
Competition
- Palme d’Or: It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi
- Grand Prix: Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier
- Best Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho, The Secret Agent
- Best Actor: Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
- Best Actress: Nadia Melliti, Little Sister
- Jury Prize (Tie): Sirat – Olivier Laxe & Sound of Falling – Mascha Schilinski
- Special Award (Prix Special): Resurrection – Bi Gan
- Best Screenplay: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Young Mothers
Other Prizes
- Camera d’Or: The President’s Cake – Hasan Hadi
- Camera d’Or Special Mention: My Father’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 – Deni 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 Cespedes
- Jury Prize: A Poet – Simon Mesa Soto
- Best Director Prize: Tarzan and Arab Nasser, Once Upon a Time in Gaza
- Performance Awards: Cleo 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 & Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: Wild Foxes – Valery Carnoy
- Audience Choice Award: The President’s Cake – Hasan Hadi
Critics’ Week
- Grand Prize: A Useful Ghost – Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
- French Touch Prize: Imago – Deni Oumar Pitsaev
- GAN Foundation Award for Distribution: Le Pacte, Left-Handed Girl
- Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award: Theodore Pellerin, Nino
- Leitz Cine Discovery Prize (Short Film): L’mìna – Randa Maroufi
- Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: Guillermo Galoe and Victor Alonso-Berbel, Sleepless City
- Canal+ Short Film Award: Erogenesis – Xandra Popescu
