1997-today : The Festival enters a new century
Making way for a new generation
After the creation of the Caméra d'Or, awarded to the Best First Film, the Festival went a step further by recognising the best film-school short films with the creation of Cinéfondation in 1998. In 2000, the Festival continued to show its support for new talents by creating a new initiative called The Residence to welcome young filmmakers and help them to develop their projects. 2005 saw another innovation called the Children's Session, a class for the youngest fans to encourage their curiosity about the cinema.
The 50th anniversary
"The Cannes Festival and the film world are two parallel universes that always end up by coming together", declared Gilles Jacob on the fiftieth anniversary of the Festival. That year was further proof of the truth of this statement. Some of the biggest names in the film world have never won the most coveted prize. This is true for Jean Renoir, saluted by a tribute and a retrospective of his career, and Ingmar Bergman, who has won five awards but never the Festival's most prestigious prize. This error was righted in 1997, when the Swedish director obtained the 'Palme des Palmes' awarded by all the winners of the Palme d'Or present at the Festival.
An International Festival
In 2002, for the 55th anniversary of the Festival, the top award went to Michael Moore for Bowling for Columbine . Two years later the alternative American director received a second Palme d'Or for Fahrenheit 9/11 . American cinema d'auteur was still in favour in 2003 when Gus Van Sant won the Palme d'Or and the award for Best Director. His film Elephant recounts the day that two teenagers gunned down their fellow students in a school in Columbine in America. Since Sex, Lies and Videotape in 1989, six American films have received the supreme reward. Although the commercial blockbusters are absent from the competition, their stars can often be seen on La Croisette, and independent films are also competitors to be reckoned with. Belgian cinema is also a respected guest, thanks to Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, who have twice won the Palme d'Or, with Rosetta in 1999 and The Child in 2005. And good things come to those who wait. After the Technical Grand Prix and the Jury Grand Prix, Lars von Trier received the Palme d'Or in 2000, thanks to Dancer in the Dark . Björk received the award for Best Actress. Jean-Luc Godard participated in his twelfth festival in 2001 with his film In Praise of Love . In 2005, the Festival emphasised its International dimension. The Festival's Atelier (Workshop), organised by the Cinéfondation, invites 18 filmmakers from around the world to come to Cannes to present their projects to producers during the Festival. A new programme, called 'All the cinemas of the World', offers different countries the chance to present their films.
Much publicity about the 2004 Palme d'Or
Review of the Palme d'Or of the 57th Festival, awarded to the Michael Moore documentary on the September 11 attacks, "Fahrenheit 9-11". The jury, presided by Quentin Tarantino explains itself in a press conference, together with the director Michael Moore.
List of winners of the 2005 Festival
Review of the main awards presented during the closing ceremony of the 58th Festival. The jury presided by Emir Kusturica awards the Palme d'Or to "The Child"" by the Dardenne brothers, and awards the films "Broken Flowers", "Hidden" and "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada".
Interview with Lars Von Trier and Björk on the occasion of the Palme d'Or awarded to Dancer in the Dark
Link-up interview with the director Lars Von Trier, winner of the Palme d'Or for Dancer in the Dark, and the singer Björk, winner of the Best Actress award for her role as Selma.
From the 60th anniversary
For the sixtieth Cannes Film Festival, directors have been honoured : 35 directors from 25 countries have each directed a 3 minutes film, expressing their state of mind of the moment as inspired by the motion picture theatre. All were edited into one movie : To each one, his own cinema .
In 2007 and 2009, the Palme d'or is given to movies that refer to a painful past : 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days from director Cristian Mungiu tells the story of two young girls, trying to abort in Ceaucescu's Romania , and The White Ribbon from Michael Haneke darkly depicts society and family in a northern German village just before World War I.
More optimistic, The Class from Laurent Cantet - palme d'or in 2008 - is about a French teacher (François Bégaudeau, both teacher and writer, is acting his own part in the movie ), and his experience, during one whole school year, in teaching French class to racially mixed students in a tough Parisian neighborhood. President of the jury, Sean Penn, said he wanted to reward a filmmaker who was "very aware of the times within which he lives".
If in 2010 the Palme d'Or awarded to the film by Apichatpong Weerasethakul came as a surprise, the 2011 selection was hailed as exceptional vintage, dominated by the impressive film The Tree of life by Terrence Malick, the reclusive and secret director. For the 65th edition of the Cannes Film Festival - May 16 to May 27, 2012 - the Italian Nanni Moretti was chosen as president of the jury. This year, the film by Michael Haneke, Love, wins the Palme d'Or. In 2013, the jury chaired by Steven Spielberg crown Adele by Abdellatif Kechiche, and the two film actresses Léa Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos.
Directors' Fortnight 40th birthday
Report about the Directors' Fortnight, which celebrates its 40th birthday : remembering its creation in 1968 and the directors it revealed ; interviews of Cédric Klapisch, organiser Olivier Père and of Jerzy Skolimowski, who opens the Fortnight this year.
64th Cannes film festival awards and prizes
Review of the awards of the 64th Cannes Film Festival ; The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick wins the Palme d'or. The Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress are respectively given to Jean Dujardin and Kirsten Dunst. Maïwenn received the Jury Prize for his third feature film : Poliss.
Related videos
Climbing of the steps for the opening of the 1997 Festival
First climbing of the steps for the 50th Cannes Festival, for the opening ceremony: Isabelle Adjani, the president and some members of her jury, Gong Li, Tim Burton, Patrick Dupond, and the team of the opening film "The Fifth Element": Luc Besson, Milla Jovovich, and Bruce Willis with Demi Moore.
Interview with Youssef Chahine for The Other in 1999
Interview with the Egyptian director Youssef Chahine, who has come to present The Other out of competition at the 52nd Festival. The director confirms that everything is political and tries to denounce religious integralism and excessive globalisation through his film.
List of prize-winners of the 1998 festival
The highlights of the 51st award ceremony, with a rousing Roberto Benigni who made the hall of the Palais des Festivals cry with laughter. Theo Angelopoulos took the Palme d'Or, Peter Mullan received the award for the Best Actor and Natacha Regnier and Elodie Bouchez received together the Best Actress award.
Interview with two jury members: Jeff Goldblum and Barbara Hendricks
Interview with two members of the jury for the 52nd Festival. Jeff Goldblum explains how he reconciles independent cinema and blockbusters, Barbara Hendricks talks about her commitments as United Nations Ambassador, and they both mention their experience as jury members in Cannes.
Opening of the 1999 Festival
Extract of the opening ceremony of the 52nd Festival, presented by Kristin Scott Thomas, who recalled that the Cannes Festival is not a showcase cut off from the world and that films must serve as testimony. This evening was preceded by the traditional climbing of the steps with the team of the film "Le Barbier de Siberie" by Nikita Mikhalkov.
List of winners of the 2003 Festival and reactions
Controversial and disconcerting prize-giving in 2003: "Elephant" by Gus Van Sant is not a unanimous choice, the Best Actor and Actress prizes are awarded to unknowns and the director Denys Arcand deplores the overly serious choices of the jury.
Opening of the 2000 Festival
Opening of the 53rd edition of the Festival, with Luc Besson as president of the jury. After the traditional walk up the steps of the artistic and political celebrities, the ceremony ends with the projection of Roland Joffe's "Vatel" not in the competition.
The steps for the opening of the 2001 Festival
First climbing of the steps of the 54th Festival, with a swishing parade for "Moulin Rouge" by Baz Luhrman with Nicole Kidman, shown at the opening. It was then the turn of the jury members to climb the Palais steps, with the jury presided by the favourite actress of Ingmar Bergman, Liv Ullmann.
Directors' Fortnight 40th birthday
Report about the Directors' Fortnight, which celebrates its 40th birthday : remembering its creation in 1968 and the directors it revealed ; interviews of Cédric Klapisch, organiser Olivier Père and of Jerzy Skolimowski, who opens the Fortnight this year.
64th Cannes film festival awards and prizes
Review of the awards of the 64th Cannes Film Festival ; The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick wins the Palme d'or. The Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress are respectively given to Jean Dujardin and Kirsten Dunst. Maïwenn received the Jury Prize for his third feature film : Poliss.
66th Cannes film festival awards and prizes
Review of the awards of the 66th Cannes Film Festival ; Adele by Abdellatif Kechiche wins the Palme d'or, along with two actresses Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos. The Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress are respectively given to Bruce Dern and Bérénice Bejo. The Coen brothers received the Jury Prize for Inside Llewyn Davis.
The 2014 film selection
A report on the Cannes Festival, whose official selection was revealed this morning. 18 films in all, including four French films. The competition features Godard, Cronenberg as well as the Dardenne brothers. Not to mention Michel Hazanavicius' latest film. On the showbiz side of things, a highly anticipated film will open the festival: the Grace of Monaco biopic. An interview with Thierry Frémaux (General Delegate of the Cannes Festival) on the arrival of young film makers.
The winners of the 67th Cannes Festival
A story on the Cannes Festival's award ceremony. Nuri Bilge Ceylan wins the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm). Xavier Dolan and Jean-Luc Godard are awarded the Jury Prize. The Best Director Award goes to Bennett Miller. Timothy Spall walks away with the Best Actor award. The story includes film clips and excerpts from Xavier Dolan and Timothy Spall's acceptance speeches.
Just before the opening
Palme d'or for Jacques Audiard with Dheepan
