The Cannes Film Festival is more than just a red carpet affair — it’s a global platform that elevates boundary-pushing, emotionally charged, and artistically innovative cinema. Each year, this prestigious event on the French Riviera sets the tone for the art-house and independent film circuit, spotlighting stories that defy convention and challenge audiences worldwide.
Whether you’re a seasoned cinephile or a curious newcomer, watching Cannes winners offers a masterclass in storytelling, cinematography, and cultural introspection.
Introduction to the Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival, founded in 1946, is one of the most respected and influential film festivals in the world. It serves as a launching pad for auteur filmmakers and a curated exhibition of cinematic excellence from every corner of the globe.
Held annually in May in Cannes, France, the festival features a competitive slate where films vie for awards such as the Palme d’Or (Golden Palm), Grand Prix, and Jury Prize. These accolades are not only marks of prestige but often lead to wider distribution and critical acclaim.
🌟 Palme d’Or Winners That Changed Cinema
The Palme d’Or is Cannes’ highest honor — a symbol of cinematic brilliance. These films not only win hearts at the festival but often become touchstones in modern film history.
Anatomy of a Fall (2023) – Justine Triet
This courtroom drama-meets-domestic thriller stunned audiences and critics alike. Through a layered, ambiguous script and stellar performance from Sandra Hüller, the film explores truth, bias, and psychological unraveling in a way that keeps viewers riveted.
ANORA (2024) – Sean Baker
Sean Baker’s raw yet emotionally generous filmmaking returns with ANORA, a story of survival, agency, and resilience set against the backdrop of the New York sex industry. Its Palme d’Or win in 2024 signals a shift toward more socially reflective narratives in mainstream festival circuits.
Elephant (2003) – Gus Van Sant
A haunting, minimalist film about a high school shooting, Elephant is an earlier Palme d’Or winner that broke ground with its long tracking shots and chilling naturalism. It remains a textbook example of how Cannes recognizes innovation over commerciality.
“Elephant is both silent and deafening. It’s a film you don’t watch as much as feel.”
— Roger Ebert
🏆 Grand Prix & Jury Prize Winners Worth Your Time
While the Palme d’Or gets the headlines, the Grand Prix and Jury Prize often reward films that take unique creative risks. These selections reflect the heart and mind of the festival jury and offer an often more accessible entry into art-house cinema.
The Zone of Interest (2023) – Jonathan Glazer
A haunting portrayal of the Holocaust told from the banal perspective of Nazi officers, this film avoids graphic imagery to deliver a psychologically disturbing masterpiece. It also received the CST Award for technical excellence in sound and editing.
All We Imagine as Light (2024) – Payal Kapadia
A profound meditation on friendship and female solidarity in modern India, this film marks a significant moment for South Asian filmmakers at Cannes. With poetic visuals and emotional authenticity, it stood out in a year full of heavy contenders.
Fallen Leaves (2023) – Aki Kaurismäki
Understated yet moving, this film reaffirms Kaurismäki’s status as a master of minimalist melancholy. The Jury Prize win was a nod to timeless storytelling told with sparse dialogue and rich atmosphere.
🎭 Best Actor & Best Actress Performances
Cannes is known not just for directors but for celebrating transformative performances. Here are a few that left audiences breathless and juries deeply moved.
Koji Yakusho in Perfect Days (2023)
A quiet, reflective performance that turns everyday moments into acts of spiritual grace. Yakusho’s portrayal of a Tokyo toilet cleaner is a masterclass in stillness, depth, and dignity.
Jesse Plemons in Kinds of Kindness (2024)
Known for his range, Plemons delivered a surreal and eerie performance that blurred the line between absurdism and emotional truth — a performance that earned him Best Actor honors.
Merve Dizdar in About Dry Grasses (2023)
A fierce and vulnerable teacher navigating societal constraints, Dizdar’s performance is rooted in subtlety. She brings emotional honesty that made her Best Actress win feel inevitable.
Emilia Pérez Ensemble (2024)
Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Selena Gomez shared the award for their roles in Emilia Pérez, a film that blends musical drama with gender politics. Their collective performance challenged conventions and expanded what award-worthy acting can look like.
“Performance is not just about dialogue — it’s about presence, silence, and how one holds the frame.”
— Acting coach Ivana Chubbuck
🎥 Best Director & Best Screenplay Winners
At Cannes, best direction and screenplay awards often highlight the voices shaping cinema’s future. These accolades reward not just storytelling but the visionary approach that defines memorable art films.
Miguel Gomes – Grand Tour (2024)
With his signature fusion of docu-fiction, Gomes turns Grand Tour into an existential travelogue. Shot across Asia and Europe, it’s a visual diary of colonial memory and contemporary displacement, earning him the Best Director honor.
Tran Anh Hùng – La Passion de Dodin Bouffant (2023)
Celebrated for his ability to weave sensuality and taste into storytelling, Tran’s direction evokes the poetic qualities of food and love. The meticulous mise-en-scène and emotional pacing earned him the Best Director title for a deeply French, yet universally human, narrative.
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance (2024)
Known for her body-horror masterpiece Revenge, Fargeat returned with a feminist sci-fi satire that won Best Screenplay. Her sharp critique of beauty standards and media exploitation is both entertaining and deeply unsettling.
Hirokazu Kore-eda – Monster (2023)
A master of subtlety, Kore-eda won Best Screenplay for Monster, a narrative told from multiple viewpoints, slowly revealing a heartbreaking truth. The screenplay’s brilliance lies in its restraint, allowing human emotion and ambiguity to rise naturally.
“The best screenplays at Cannes don’t dictate—they invite you into the world with silence, gaps, and grace.”
— Celine Song, screenwriter & director
🎞️ Hidden Gems and Honorable Mentions
Not every powerful film wins a big trophy — but many leave Cannes with critical buzz and a loyal audience. These “hidden gems” may lack the spotlight but are no less impactful.
Parthenope – Paolo Sorrentino
Shot in Naples with sweeping, dreamlike cinematography, this film won the CST Award for Best Artist-Technician. Sorrentino channels memory and identity through a female protagonist, offering one of his most intimate, visually poetic works to date.
The Pot-au-Feu – Tran Anh Hùng
Though better known for its direction win, this film also deserves praise for its culinary storytelling, making food a metaphor for sensuality and patience. It’s a quiet film that resonates deeply with those who appreciate slow cinema.
Monster – Kore-eda Hirokazu
While it took home the Best Screenplay, Monster is frequently cited by critics as an underappreciated emotional powerhouse. The film’s themes of bullying, misunderstanding, and maternal instincts leave a long-lasting emotional imprint.
