The Cannes Film Festival awards explained
Once films get though the selection process for Cannes, they are in the running for Palm awards. That’s not all. Read on.
Issued on: Modified:
Golden Palms in the main competition
These include THE Palm award for best feature film, then jury prize, best director, best actor, best actress, best scenario.
They will decided by this year’s nine-member jury co-presided by directors Ethan and Joel Coen, who count for two votes. They say, “We have to find consensus on films that moves all of us. We aren’t critics.” However, they will vote by secret ballot and the majority wins.
19 films are in the running.
Honorary Golden Palm
Given to a film maker for life-time achievement.
This year’s we know is going to French filmmaker Agnès Varda who already won an equivalent prize at the parallel Director’s Fortnight (The Golden Carriage which this year goes to Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke whose film, Shan He Gu Ren is in the main competition selection).
Un Certain Regard
The sometimes more edgy, or less experienced (but not necessarily so) selection awards a prize to its top pick out of 19 entries also.
This year, Isabella Rossellini, the actress-director-daughter of the 68th Cannes poster-pin-up, Ingrid Bergman, heads this jury.
The Golden Camera Award
This is a prize awarded for the best first feature film across the sections in the main competition, and Un Certain Regard but also those in the Director’s Fortnight and the Critics’ Week parallel sections. French actress Sabine Azema who appeared in many of the late Alain Renais’ films is heading this team.
The Cinéfoundation and Shorts Prize
Last year’s ecumenical award winner at Cannes was Timbuktu. The director of that film Abderrahmane Sissako is the jury chair along with four other judges who choose the best short film which will receive the other of the two real gold Palms.
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