Cannes Film Festival has promising odds for Neon's film contending for the Palme d'Or award.
At the heart of the Palme d'Or awards ceremony during the 78th Cannes Film Festival this Saturday lies a significant question: Can Neon continue its unprecedented streak of distributing Palme d'Or winners? The last five winners at Cannes have all been released by Independent distributor Neon, including the 2019 Oscar-winning Best Film, "Parasite," and the 2021 Palme d'Or winner, "Anora."
If successful this Saturday, Neon could extend its streak to six wins in a row, adding "Parasite," "Titane," "Triangle of Sadness," "Anatomy of a Fall," and "Anora" to its Palme d'Or roster. Although this may seem unusual, it is plausible given Neon's recent acquisition of critically acclaimed films such as Joachim Trier's family drama, "Sentimental Value," Jafar Panahi's revenge thriller, "It Was Only an Accident," and Óliver Laxe's desert road trip, "Sirât."
However, the final decision rests with the jury at Cannes, whose deliberations remain private, making a definitive prediction challenging. Four key contenders, "The Secret Agent" by Kleber Mendonça Filho, "A Accident" by Jafar Panahi, "The Family Drama" by Joachim Trier, and "The Desert Road Trip" by Óliver Laxe, are set to be distributed by Neon in the US. The nine-member jury, led by Juliette Binoche, will decide the fate of these movies and other promising contenders.
In other news, the politically charged Cannes Film Festival culminates this weekend, with US President Donald Trump suggesting the possibility of a 100% tariff on foreign-produced films. Film directors have shrugged off the proposal, deeming it illogical. As Wes Anderson, director of the festival's best American film contender "The Phoenix Scheme," put it, "Can you hold onto the film at customs so it doesn’t get shipped? It simply won't reach the audience that way." Along with Anderson's film, other notable American entries include Spike Lee's "Highest 2 Lowest," the action film "Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning" by Christopher McQuarrie, and Ari Aster's "Eddington."
References:[1] Neon Film Distribution (official website)[2] Cannes Film Festival (official website)[3] The Academy Awards (official website)
Neon's streak of distributing Palme d'Or winners may extend to six films, including potential winners like Joachim Trier's "The Family Drama" and Oliver Laxe's "The Desert Road Trip." Meanwhile, the politically charged Cannes Film Festival sees a suggestion by US President Donald Trump for a 100% tariff on foreign-produced films, an idea that film directors, such as Wes Anderson and Spike Lee, find illogical and detrimental to the global film industry.
