Sandrine’s Paris

For all cinema lovers, Cannes Film Festival is THE place.

This year the competition was consistently of high standard, offering master films by talented authors.

Among the highlights…

Tim Burton was President of the Jury this year, the Festival’s 63rd edition. To celebrate his presence, the Palais des Festivals was bedecked in Tim’s own colourful drawings, extracted from his movies’ storyboards and scenarios.

“Wall Street Money never sleeps” directed by Oliver Stone made a sturr, one of the very few films to talk about the current financial crisis.

The highly antecipated Jean Luc Godard didn’t come but Mick Jagger did.

Ridley Scott presented a new version of Robin Hood, featuring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, opening the film festival.

Worthy of note: Iranian filmmaker Jafar Pahani, jury member, couldn’t attend the festival as he is currently jailed in his country, accused of being an opposant to the regime. 

Cannes is also the place to revisit the classics on restored prints, eg. The Leopard by Luchino Visconti (1963), Boudu Saved from Drowning by Jean Renoir (1932) or Tristana by Luis Buñuel (1972).

Last night, the Cannes Film Festival awarded its “Palmarès” rewarding an international crowd of talentuous filmmakers and actors.

And the winners are :

Palme d’or for feature film awarded to Uncle Boonmee who can remember his past lives (Lung Boonmee Raluek). 

Grand Prix awarded to Of Gods and Men (Des Hommes et des Dieux) by Xavier Beauvois

The Prix du Jury for feature film awarded to A Screaming Man (Un Homme qui crie) by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

The Caméra d’or awarded to Año Bisiesto by Michael Rowe

Best Director awarded to Mathieu Amalric for On Tour (Tournée)

Best Actress awarded to Juliette Binoche in Cettified Copy (Copie Conforme)

 by Abbas Kiarostami

Best Actor awarded in tie to Javier Bardem in Biutiful by Alejandro González Iñárritu

Best Actor awarded in tie to Elio Germano in Our Life (La Nostra Vita) by Daniele Luchetti

Best Script awarded to Lee Chang-Dong for Poetry

The Palme d’or for short film awarded to Barking Island (Chienne d’histoire) by Serge Avédikian

The Prix du Jury for short film awarded to Bathing Micky (Micky Bader) by Frida Kempff

Un Certain Regard Prize – Groupama Gan Foundation for Cinema

HAHAHA directed by HONG Sangsoo

Jury Prize – Un Certain Regard

OCTUBRE (OCTOBER) directed by Daniel VEGA, Diego VEGA

Un Certain Regard Award for Best Actress

LOS LABIOS (THE LIPS) played by Victoria RAPOSO, Eva BIANCO, Adela SANCHEZ