The world-famous Cannes Film Festival came to a close over the weekend. With such a fine lineup of screenings, it was anybody's guess who would take home the festival's highest accolades.
Since its beginnings as an international film festival conceived in 1939 to rival the Venice Film Festival, Canne's first screenings took place in September 1946. Since then, stars have flocked to Cannes every year to celebrate the art of cinema.
This year's winners come from all over the world and, just as Thierry Frémaux described it before the French National Assembly's Commission for Cultural Affairs in April 2015, the films were all a salute to the highest form of art and moviemaking.
"The Festival de Cannes is a celebration of cinematographic art. We exist to showcase the new writing, new genres and new visual innovations of our time. Every year in May, Cannes gives a sort of snapshot—both ephemeral and lasting, when one adds up the years—of what constitutes the art of cinema," he said.
The prestigious Palme d'Or, the festival's highest award went to French director Jacques Audiard for Dheepan, a tale of two Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka exiled and rebuilding their lives in France.
"I'm very touched," Audiard told the audience as he accepted the award for the film. "I'm glad Michael Haneke didn't have a film this year," he joked in reference to when his film Le Prophet came in second to Haneke's The White Ribbon in 2009.
Other winners of the evening were...
Grand Prize: Son of Saul
(Hungarian director Laszlo Nemes)
Jury Prize: The Lobster
(Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos)
Best Actor: Vincent Lindon
(The Measure of a Man)
Best Actress: Rooney Mara, Emmanuelle Bercot
(Carol, Mon Roi)
Best Director: Hou Hsiao-Hsien
(The Assassin)
Best Screenplay: Chronic
(Michel Franco)
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