The 77th Cannes Film Festival draws to a close Saturday with the presentation of its top award, the Palme d’Or, along with an honorary tribute for George Lucas. The closing ceremony is set to begin at 6:45 p.m. local time, 12:45 p.m. U.S. Eastern time. It will be streamed live on Brut internationally and air on France 2 within France.
Quick Read
- What will win the Palme d’Or? Cannes closes Saturday with awards and a tribute to George Lucas
- Festival Finale: The 77th Cannes Film Festival concludes on Saturday with the announcement of the Palme d’Or and other major awards.
- Ceremony Details: The closing ceremony starts at 6:45 p.m. local time (12:45 p.m. U.S. Eastern) and will be streamed live on Brut internationally and broadcast on France 2 in France.
- Top Contenders: Among the 22 films vying for the Palme d’Or, notable contenders include Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine As Light,” Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” and Sean Baker’s “Anora.”
- Jury and Deliberation: The nine-person jury, led by Greta Gerwig, deliberates in secret, making any outcome possible.
- Key Films: “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” depicts an Iranian family’s experience during the 2022 protests and includes real protest footage. “All We Imagine As Light” is the first Indian film in Cannes competition in 30 years, focusing on the bond between two nurses in Mumbai. “Anora” tells the story of a Brooklyn sex worker marrying a Russian oligarch’s son.
- Other Noteworthy Entries: Francis Ford Coppola’s sci-fi epic “Megalopolis,” Coralie Fargeat’s body-horror satire “The Substance,” and Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language musical “Emilia Perez” are also highly anticipated.
- Honorary Tribute: George Lucas will receive an honorary Palme d’Or during the ceremony, joining earlier honorees Meryl Streep and Studio Ghibli.
- Screening of Winner: After the awards, the Palme d’Or-winning film will be screened for the audience in the Grand Théâtre Lumière.
The Associated Press has the story:
What will win Palme d’Or? Cannes closes Saturday with awards & a tribute to George Lucas
Newslooks- CANNES- (AP)
The 77th Cannes Film Festival draws to a close Saturday with the presentation of its top award, the Palme d’Or, along with an honorary tribute for George Lucas.
The closing ceremony is set to begin at 6:45 p.m. local time, 12:45 p.m. U.S. Eastern time. It will be streamed live on Brut internationally and air on France 2 within France.
Any of the 22 films that premiered in competition at Cannes are eligible for the Palme d’Or and other prizes, like the Grand Prix, best actress and best actor. Deciding them all will be the nine-person jury presided over, this year, by Greta Gerwig.
The jury’s deliberations take place in secret, so anything could potentially win. But a handful of films are seen as the most likely contenders, among them Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine As Light,” Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” and Sean Baker’s “Anora.”
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” about an Iranian family living through the country’s 2022 protests, was shot clandestinely in Iran and includes real videos from the demonstrations. Just ahead of its Cannes debut, Rasoulof, facing an eight-year prison sentence, fled Iran. He arrived in Cannes several days ago and, on the red carpet, held up photographs of two of his actors, Soheila Golestani and Missagh Zareh.
“All We Imagine As Light,” the first Indian film in competition in Cannes in 30 years, is about two nurses who forge a bond in modern Mumbai. It’s Kapadia’s second feature, following the documentary “A Night of Knowing Nothing.”
“Anora,” by the American filmmaker of “The Florida Project,” is about a Brooklyn sex worker who marries the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch, provoking a farcical rush to annul the marriage. The film’s star, Mikey Madison, gives one of the most widely hailed performances of the festival.
Other much talked about entries include the sci-fi epic “Megalopolis” from Francis Ford Coppola, a two-time winner of the Palme d’Or; Coralie Fargeat’s gory body-horror satire “The Substance,” starring Demi Moore; and Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez,” a Spanish-language musical about a Mexican drug lord who transitions to a woman. Audiard previously won the Palme for 2015’s “Dheepan.”
During the brief awards ceremony, Lucas will be given an honorary Palme d’Or. During the festival, Cannes gave the same tribute to Meryl Streep and the Japanese anime factory Studio Ghibli.
Following the awards, the winner of the Palme will be screened for the audience in the Grand Théâtre Lumière.
