The 77th Cannes Film Festival has reached its most glorious moment with the winners finally announced at Saturday’s closing ceremony.
Sean Baker was the star of the night as he lifted the festival’s top award, the Palme d’Or for directing Añora, and accepted the coveted award at the iconic Grand Théâtre Lumière.
Also winning the podium was Selena Gómez, who won the Best Actress award for her role in Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard, sharing it with a cast that included Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña and Adriana Paz, although Selena was not present.
Although many odds pointed in the direction of Demi Moore, acclaimed for her competition debut The Substance, it was Emilia Pérez who dominated, a Spanish-language musical about a Mexican drug dealer who transforms into a woman.
The Madrid actress Karla Sofía, 52, who collected the award, is the first trans actress to win a major award at Cannes.
The winners of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival were announced on Saturday, with Anora receiving the coveted Palm D’Or award (director Sean Baker is pictured accepting the award).
Selena Gómez also won the podium, winning the Best Actress award for her role in Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard, along with a cast of actresses.
To further demonstrate the success of the police musical comedy, Emilia Pérez also won the Cannes jury prize.
It marked an exceptionally rare and unprecedented moment by winning not one, but two awards, while awards are usually spread out.
On the other hand, Jesse Plemons won the Best Actor award for his “outstanding” performance in Kinds of Kindness by Yorgos Lanthimos, but the actor was also not present at the closing ceremony.
In the film three stories are told with practically the same company of actors.
As American director Sean, 53, excitedly picked up the gong, he said: “I really don’t know what’s going on right now.”
Anora is a comic but devastating Brooklyn odyssey about a sex worker who marries the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch.
Although the film is arguably the most acclaimed piece of the festival, its win was a surprise given its equally notable competition.
Sean’s Anora competed with the Iranian film The Seed of the Sacred Fig and the gentle Indian drama All We Imagine As Light, which also won awards.
Although many odds pointed in the direction of Demi Moore, acclaimed for her competition debut The Substance, it was Emilia Pérez who ultimately dominated, a Spanish-language musical about a Mexican drug dealer who transforms into a woman (pictured, Zoe Saldana) .
Madrid actress Karla Sofía, 52, who accepted the award, is the first trans actress to win a major award at Cannes, as she plays the title character (pictured in the middle with Jacques Audiard, George Lucas and Sean Baker) .
Further proof of the success of the police musical comedy is that Emilia Pérez also won the Cannes jury prize.
Elsewhere, Jesse Plemons won Best Actor for his ‘outstanding’ performance in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness, but the actor was also not present at the closing ceremony.
Jesse Plemons received the Best Actor award for his performance in Kinds of Kindness, although he was not present to accept it.
He collected the Palme d’Or alongside his main star Mikey Madison, while smiling from ear to ear.
At the iconic awards ceremony, film legend Francis Ford Coppola also presented an honorary Palme d’Or to his long-time friend and collaborator George Lucas.
The couple, considered two of the most important figures of the last half-century of American cinema, held an iconic meeting in Cannes.
During the ceremony, Cannes also paid the same tribute to Meryl Streep and the Japanese anime factory Studio Ghibli.
Indian dramatic narrative All We Imagine As Light, about brotherhood in modern Mumbai, won the Grand Prix, Cannes’ second highest honor.
Directed by Payal Kapadia, the director made history as the first Indian to compete at the Cannes Film Festival in 30 years.
On the other hand, The Seed of the Sacred Fig received an emotional ovation and took the special prize.
The jury awarded a special prize to the director Mohammad Rasoulof for the drama secretly performed in Iran.
Just days before the film’s release, the director faced an eight-year prison sentence and ultimately fled Iran on foot.
The dramatic piece includes real footage from the 2022-2023 protests in Iran and channels Iranian oppression into a family drama.
The Cannes audience is said to have welcomed Mohammad with a long standing ovation.
Although Demi Moore did not win the Best Actress award, the Coralie Fargeat’s body horror film The Substance: who sees the actress go to bloody extremes to remain young – won best screenplay.
“I truly believe that movies can change the world, so I hope this movie is a small stone to build new foundations,” Coralie said.
“I really think we need a revolution and I don’t think it has started yet.”
As American director Sean, 53, excitedly picked up the gong, he said: “I really don’t know what’s going on right now.”
He collected the Palm D’Or award alongside its lead star Mikey Madison and producer Samantha Quan.
Sean and Mikey, 25, hugged after accepting the award.
The iconic ceremony also saw film legend Francis Ford Coppola presenting an honorary Palme d’Or to his long-time friend and collaborator George Lucas.
The couple, considered two of the most important figures of the last half century of American cinema, raised a storm together.
Although Demi Moore did not win Best Actress, Coralie Fargeat’s horror film The Substance, which sees the actress go to bloody extremes to stay young, won Best Screenplay.
The director of The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Mohammad Rasoulof, proudly collects his award for his drama made secretly in Iran
Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes proudly won the best director award for Grand Tour, An Asian odyssey in which a man flees his fiancée from Rangoon in 1917.
‘Sometimes I’m lucky,’ Miguel humbly joked.
Finally, the Camera d’Or went to Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel for his Armand – which is the Best debut film in all the official Cannes selections.
Tøndel is also the grandson of renowned Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman and Norwegian actor Liv Ullman.
Special mention went to Mongrel, directed by Chiang Wei Liang, as well as Bad For a Moment, by Daniel Soares.
Finally, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, by Nebojsa Slijepcevic, won the Palme d’Or for short film.
