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The 75th Cannes Film Festival concluded today, with organisers assuring that a major power cut will not jeopardize the award ceremony. The closing ceremony, scheduled for later this evening, will see French actress Juliette Binoche and her jury announce the Palme d'Or winner among 22 contenders.
Prominent films vying for the top prize include Iranian director Jafar Panahi's "It Was Just an Accident" and Sergei Loznitsa's Ukrainian-directed drama "Two Prosecutors," according to Screen magazine analysis. Norwegian director Joachim Trier's "Sentimental Value," a family drama with Elle Fanning, has reportedly garnered buzz following its 19-minute standing ovation upon its premiere.
Speculation about the awards remains amidst traffic delays caused by a power cut. Police sources suggest the outage may have been caused by a fire at a nearby electricity substation. Festival organisers have switched to an alternative power supply, ensuring their events and screenings can continue as planned.
Politics have dominated discourse throughout the festival. The Gaza war and its impact on Palestine have been a significant focus. Over 900 actors and filmmakers, including Binoche, Ralph Fiennes, Jim Jarmusch, and Julian Assange, have signed an open letter denouncing "genocide" in the region. The UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, expressed concern about the festival's perceived disengagement with the ongoing conflict.
US President Donald Trump has also been a crucial talking point. Todd Haynes condemned Trump's presidency as "barbaric," while Pedro Pascal acknowledged it was "scary" to criticize the Republican leader.
Additionally, awards have already been announced in various categories. The first Chechen film to screen at Cannes, "Imago," won best documentary, while the film about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, "The Six Billion Dollar Man," received a special jury prize. The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo, a Chilean film by Diego Cespedes, took the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section. Hafsia Herzi, a French director, was awarded the unofficial Queer Palm for her coming-of-age tale "The Last One."
Other highlights include "Useful Ghost," a LGBTQ Thai ghost story, which received top prize in the Critics' Week section, and the Palm Dog prize, awarded to a sheepdog in the Icelandic family drama "The Love That Remains."
Sources:AFP, Variety, Screen, Cannes Film Festival official website.
News of the Cannes Film Festival's political landscape remains prevalent, as over 900 actors and filmmakers, including Juliette Binoche, have signed an open letter condemning the situation in Gaza. Meanwhile, the awards race heats up with diverse film genres, such as politics (The Six Billion Dollar Man) and entertainment (The Love That Remains, featuring a Palm Dog prize-winning sheepdog), vying for recognition alongside movies in genre categories like drama (Sentimental Value) and documentaries (Imago).
