Cannes Film Festival 2023 came to its conclusion in France on Saturday, May 27, 2023, by naming its third female director as the winner for its top prize.
Marking the end of the festival, the closing ceremony aired live on French network and streamed worldwide. The awards were followed by the world premiere screening of Disney/Pixar’s Elemental from director Peter Sohn, The Hollywood Reporter.
The winners of the evening was French director Justine Triet, who claimed the prize for her courtroom drama, Anatomy of a Fall, per Variety.
The prize was presented by Jane Fonda, who remarked on how far Cannes has come since she first attended. “There were no women directors competing at that time, and it never even occurred to us that there was something wrong with that. We’ve come a long way,” she said.
Triet used it as an opportunity to protest the French government’s austerity programs, including major cuts to cultural programmes and pension reforms, which have sparked nationwide protests.
“This award is dedicated to all the young women directors and all the young male directors: All those who cannot manage to shoot films today. We must give them space, the space I occupied 15 years ago in a less-hostile world, where it was still possible to make mistakes and to start again.”
Japanese acting legend Koji Yakusho won the best actor prize at the 2023 Cannes Festival, for his role in Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days. Whereas, Best actress honours went to Merve Dizdar, the star of the Turkish drama About Dry Grasses from director Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
Here is the full list of Cannes Film Festival 2023 Winners:
Competition
Palme d’Or: Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet
Grand Prix: The Zone of Interest by Jonathan Glazer
Director: Tran Anh Hung for The Pot au Feu
Actor: Kōji Yakusho for Perfect Days
Actress: Merve Dizdar for About Dry Grasses
Jury Prize: Fallen Leaves by Aki Kaurismaki
Screenplay: Sakamoto Yûji for Monster
Other Prizes
Camera d’Or
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell by Thien An Pham
Short Films Palme d’Or
27 by Flóra Anna Buda
Short Films Special Mention
Fár by Gunnur Martinsdóttir Schlüter
Golden Eye Documentary Prize
TBA
Queer Palm
Monster
UN CERTAIN REGARD
Un Certain Regard Award: How to Have Sex by Molly Manning Walker
Jury Prize: Hounds by Kamal Lazraq
Best Director Prize: The Mother of All Lies by Asmae El Moudir
Freedom Prize: Goodbye Julia by Mohamed Kordofani
Ensemble Prize: The Buriti Flower, João Salaviza, Renée Nader Messora, cast and crew
New Voice Prize: Omen by Baloji
DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT
Europa Cinemas Label: Creatura, Elena Martín
Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: A Prince, Pierre Creton
CRITICS’ WEEK
Grand Prize: Tiger Stripes by Amanda Nell Eu
French Touch Prize: It’s raining in the house by Paloma Sermon-Daï
GAN Foundation Award for Distribution: Pyramide Films for Inshallah a boy
Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award: Jovan Ginić for Lost Country
