Cannes Film Festival 2024 winners are revealed

by · Mail Online

The 77th Cannes Film Festival has come to its most glorious moment with the winners finally announced at Saturday's closing ceremony.

Sean Baker was quite the star of the night as he lifted the festival's top award, the Palme D'Or for directing Anora, and accepted the coveted prize at the iconic Grand Théâtre Lumière.

Also conquering the podium was Selena Gomez, who earned the Best Actress gong for her role in Jacques Audiard's Emilia Perez, sharing it with an ensemble including Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, and Adriana Paz - although Selena was not in attendance.

Although many odds pointed in the direction of Demi Moore - acclaimed for her competition debut The Substance - it was Emilia Perez who dominated, a Spanish-language musical about a Mexican drug lord who transitions to a woman.

Madrid-born actress Karla Sofia, 52, who accepted the award, is the first trans actor to win a major prize at Cannes.

The 2024 Cannes Film Festival winners were announced on Saturday, with Anora receiving the coveted Palm D'Or prize (director Sean Baker is pictured accepting the award)
Also conquering the podium was Selena Gomez , who earned the Best Actress gong for her role in Jacques Audiard's Emilia Perez, along with an ensemble of female actors

Further proving the success of the musical crime comedy, Emilia Perez also won Cannes' jury prize.

It marked an unprecedentedly rare moment earning not one, but two awards, whereas prizes are usually spread around.

Elsewhere Jesse Plemons won Best Actor for his 'standout' performance in Yorgos Lanthimos' Kinds of Kindness, but the actor was also not present at the closing ceremony.

In the film, three stories are told with largely the same company of actors.

As American director Sean, 53, emotionally collected the gong, he said: 'I don't really know what's happening right now.'

Anora is a comic but devastating Brooklyn odyssey about a sex worker who marries the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch.

Despite the movie being arguably the most acclaimed piece of the festival - its win still came as a surprise because of his equally remarkable competition.

Sean's Anora went head to head with Iranian movie The Seed of the Sacred Fig or  gentle Indian drama All We Imagine As Light, which also earned prizes.

Although many odds pointed in the direction of Demi Moore - acclaimed for her competition debut The Substance - it was Emilia Perez to dominate ultimately, a Spanish-language musical about a Mexican drug lord who transitions to a woman (pictured Zoe Saldana)
Madrid-born actress Karla Sofia, 52, who accepted the award, is the first trans actor to win a major prize at Cannes, as she stars at the leading character (pictured middle with Jacques Audiard, George Lucas, and Sean Baker)
Further proving the success of the musical crime comedy, Emilia Perez also won Cannes' jury prize
Elsewhere Jesse Plemons won Best Actor for his 'standout' performance in Yorgos Lanthimos' Kinds of Kindness, but the actor was also not present at the closing ceremony
Jesse Plemons was awarded Best Actor for his performance in Kinds of Kindness, though he was not in attendance to accept

He collected the Palm D'Or alongside his leading star Mikey Madison, as he grinned from ear to ear.

The iconic prize ceremony also saw cinema legend Francis Ford Coppola giving an honorary Palme D'Or to long-time friend and collaborator George Lucas.

The pair - who are considered two of the most pivotal figures of the last half-century of American moviemaking - made an iconic reunion in Cannes. 

During the ceremony, Cannes also gave the same tribute to Meryl Streep and the Japanese anime factory Studio Ghibli. 

Indian drama narrative All We Imagine As Light, about sisterhood in modern Mumbai, won the Grand Prix, Cannes' second-highest honor. 

Directed by Payal Kapadia, the female director made history as the first Indian in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 30 years.

Elsewhere, The Seed of the Sacred Fig earned an emotional standing ovation and bagged Special Prize.

The jury awarded a special prize to director Mohammad Rasoulof for the drama made secretly in Iran. 

Just days ahead of the film's premiere the director faced an eight-year prison sentence, and eventually fled Iran on foot. 

The drama piece includes real footage from the 2022-2023 demonstrations in Iran, and channels Iranian oppression into a family drama. 

The Cannes crowd is said to have met Mohammad with a lengthy standing ovation.

Although Demi Moore didn't earn Best Actress, the Coralie Fargeat's body horror film The Substance - who sees the actress going to gory extremes to remain youthful - won for best screenplay.

'I really believe that movies can change the world, so I hope this movie will be a little stone to build new foundations,' said Coralie.

'I really think we need a revolution and I don't think it has really started yet.'

As American director Sean, 53, emotionally collected the gong, he said: 'I don't really know what's happening right now'
He collected the Palm D'Or prize alongside his leading star Mikey Madison, and producer Samantha Quan 
Sean and Mikey, 25, shared a hug after collecting the prize
The iconic ceremony also saw cinema legend Francis Ford Coppola giving an honorary Palme D'Or to long-time friend and collaborator George Lucas
The pair - who are considered two of the most pivotal figures of the last half-century of American moviemaking - posed up a storm together
Although Demi Moore didn't earn Best Actress, the Coralie Fargeat's horror film The Substance - who sees the actress go to gory extremes to stay young - won Best Screenplay
The Seed of the Sacred Fig's director Mohammad Rasoulof proudly collects his prize for his drama secretly made in Iran

Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes proudly earned best director for Grand Tour, an Asian odyssey in which a man flees his fiancée from Rangoon in 1917.

'Sometimes I get lucky,' Miguel joked humbly.

Finally, the Camera D'Or was bagged by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel for his Armand - which is the best first feature across all of Cannes official selections.

Tøndel is also the grandson of renowned Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman and Norwegian actor Liv Ullman.

A special mention was given to Mongrel, directed by Chiang Wei Liang, as well as Daniel Soares' Bad For a Moment.

Finally, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, by Nebojsa Slijepcevic, won Short Film Palme d’Or.

Cannes Film Festival 2024 winners 

Palme D'or - Sean Baker, Anora

Grand Prize - All We Imagine as Light, Payal Kapadia

Jury Prize - Emilia Perez

Best Director - Miguel Gomes, Grand Tour

Special Prize - Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best Actor - Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness

Best Actress - Emilia Perez ensemble: Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez

Best Screenplay - The Substance, Coralie Fargeat 

 Camera D'Or - Armand, Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel

Special Mention - Mongrel, Chiang Wei Liang 

Short Film Palme d’Or - The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, Nebojsa Slijepcevic

Special Mention - Bad For a Moment, Daniel Soares