I watched this year’s Cannes from my corner of the globe online, trying not to feel too jealous. Many moments were passed around my corner of the internet: baby Annette sighting! Kevin Costner crying so sweetly when his film received a standing ovation! Whatever Megaopolis was! I’ve compiled the stand-out moments of this year’s festival below. 

The Palme d’Or went to Anora, directed by Sean Baker. The film follows an American sex worker who is whisked away in a Cinderella-like romance with the son of a Russian oligarch. This jury selected the first American Palme winner since 2011’s The Tree of Life. Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli, also received an honorary Palme d’Or, the first studio to do so. The Un Certain Regard prize went to Black Dog, directed by Guan Hu. It also won the Palme Dog Award! 

All We Imagine is Light, directed by Payal Kapadia, won the Grand Prix. It is the first Indian film to compete at Cannes since 1994, and the first film directed by an Indian female filmmaker to ever compete for the Palme d’Or. The film follows two Malayalis women living in Mumbai who embark on a road trip to a beach town. Described by viewers as naturalistic, soulful, and tender, the film has been picked up by Janus. 

Emilia Pérez, directed by Jacques Audiard, won the Jury Prize. Its female ensemble was collectively awarded Best Actress. In the film, a woman is tasked with helping a Mexican cartel leader undergo gender affirming surgery. Buzz online was very receptive, and unsurprisingly this won the Jury Prize. It’s also a musical! Netflix will distribute the film.

In addition, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, directed by Mohammad Rasoulof, was awarded a special prize by the jury. Director Mohammad Rasoulof has been sentenced to eight years in Iranian prison. The authoritarian regime targeted Rasoulof for his political speech during a time of political crackdown after the Mahsa Amini protests. Rasoulof was able to flee his sentencing and walk the Cannes red carpet, a show of tenacity in the face of censorship. 

There were several first looks that stood out. Namely, The Shrouds, directed by one of my favorite filmmakers, David Cronenberg, is on my personal watchlist. It is described as a deeply personal film from a filmmaker in his late period of work. 

The Apprentice directed by Ali Abbasi charts Donald Trump’s early rise to power, as he is mentored by Roy Cohn. Sebastian Stan plays Trump, and Jeremy Strong plays Cohn. Anyone who has seen or read the play Angels in America knows how contradictory Roy Cohn was. Anyone who has seen the 2004 miniseries for Angels in America knows how ripe this role is for a performer (see Al Pacino’s performance). It’s a match made in heaven for the intensity of an actor like Strong. Appropriately, the film has spurred Succession comparisons. StudioCanal has obtained the rights to the film for the UK and Ireland. 

The Substance, directed by Coraline Fargeat, may be the most divisive film of the festival. While the Cannes jury awarded the film Best Screenplay, and the first reactions out of the initial screening skewed positive, some are calling it a tired attempt at feminist filmmaking. Mubi has acquired the rights to the film, and is scheduled to screen in the United States on September 20th, 2024. 

Other stand-outs included Bird, directed by Andrea Arnold. This film had a great reception online, and Mubi has acquired the rights. Oh, Canada, directed by Paul Schrader, has the auteur reunite with Richard Gere. Unfortunately, the film had middling reviews. Still, its cast is an intriguing drawing point. 

And of course, Francis Ford Coppola’s epic Megapolis premiered at Cannes. What is there to say that hasn’t already been discussed online? Its Rotten Tomatoes score is sitting at 52% as of writing (May 2024). It’s unsurprising that a film quite as ambitious as this is this divisive. It is of note that during the festival, allegations arose that Coppola reportedly tried to kiss female extras who were already topless, in addition to having women sit on his lap during the making of the film. The filmmakers also employed accused abusers Shia Lebouf and Dustin Hoffman, with Lebouf walking the red carpet. 

Many celebrities showed support for Palestine during the festival. Bella Hadid, who is Palestinian, wore a keffiyeh dress. Cate Blanchett donned a dress that was reminiscent of a Palestinian flag. Guy Pearce wore a Palestinian pin and bracelet. Director Asmae El Moudir showed a Palestinian flag that was sewed into her glove. In addition, To A Land Unknown, directed by Danish-Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel, premiered at the festival. The film is about Palestinian refugees in Athens, and received a great reception from critics. 

This year, the Palme d’Or winner, Anatomy of a Fall, left with the 2024 Academy Awards with an Oscar. Much of that is thanks to Neon’s campaigning prowess. Neon has already swooped in and retained the rights to Anora, it is likely the distributor will mount an awards campaign for the film later this year. The Zone of Interest was a conversation-starter and Grand Prix winner at last year’s festival, and it left the 2024 Academy Awards with an Oscar as well. 

It will be interesting to see how Jesse Plemons enters awards season. Plemons left the 2024 festival with a Best Actor award for Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness. Will Yorgos’ golden touch with actress winners (see Emma Stone and Olivia Colman) apply to a male lead? Will awards bodies be receptive to Yorgos returning to his weirder, less palatable roots, as many have described the 2024 film as?