The 77th Cannes Film Festival celebrated cinema’s diversity and powerful female perspectives, bestowing its highest honor, the Palme d’Or, on Sean Baker’s acclaimed romantic drama ‘Anora.’ The film, hailed for its screwball humor and emotional depth, centers on a Brooklyn stripper (Mikey Madison) who pursues an unlikely romance with a Russian oligarch’s son.
In accepting the Palme d’Or from jury president Greta Gerwig, Baker issued an impassioned plea to “fight for cinema” and protect the communal theatrical experience. This marked Neon’s fifth consecutive Palme triumph.
The night’s other major winners reflected Cannes’ embrace of boundary-pushing films foregrounding women’s narratives. Jacques Audiard’s ‘Emilia Perez‘ made history with a Best Actress prize awarded collectively to its stars Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, and Selena Gomez for their powerful ensemble work.
The film, which garnered thunderous acclaim, also won the Jury Prize. Exiled Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof received a special award for ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig,’ likely honoring his perseverance amid government crackdowns.
Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s riveting debut ‘All We Imagine as Light‘ took the Grand Prize, marking a breakthrough for South Asian cinema at Cannes. Women’s stories shone in other honored films like ‘The Substance,’ which earned Coralie Fargeat the Best Screenplay prize.
In the acting races, Jesse Plemons uniquely won Best Actor for roles in two films: ‘Kinds of Kindness‘ and ‘All We Imagine as Light.’ Portuguese auteur Miguel Gomes’ ‘Grand Tour‘ earned him the Best Director award.
Festival honoree George Lucas received a celebratory Honorary Palme d’Or from Francis Ford Coppola. The iconic ‘Star Wars’ creator’s impact reverberated through Cannes’ spotlight on daring visions from global filmmakers.
With Gerwig leading the jury, the 2024 Cannes winners reflected an industry prioritizing diverse, vital storytelling from world-class artists – particularly women directors and actors finally receiving long-overdue recognition on one of cinema’s grandest stages.
Full list of 77th Cannes Film Festival winners:
- Palme d’Or: Anora, dir. Sean Baker
- Grand Prize: All We Imagine as Light, dir. Payal Kapadia
- Jury Prize: Emilia Perez, dir. Jacques Audiard
- Best Director: Miguel Gomes, Grand Tour
- Special Prize: Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig
- Best Actor: Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness
- Best Actress: Emilia Perez ensemble – Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez
- Best Screenplay: The Substance, Coralie Fargeat
- Camera d’Or (Best First Film): Armand, dir. Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
- Special Mention: Mongrel, dir. Chiang Wei Liang
- Short Film Palme d’Or: The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, dir. Nebojsa Slijepcevic
- Special Mention (Short Film): Bad For a Moment, dir. Daniel Soares
- Honorary Palme d’Or: George Lucas