Latest news with #PalmeDor
Vogue
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Here's the State of the 2026 Oscar Race
Almost a week after the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, with the French Riviera showcase's most prestigious awards now presented, press conferences and photo calls completed, and all those illegal naked dresses returned to fashion houses, Hollywood's top publicists are hard at work. Next on the agenda? Crafting Oscar campaigns for all of those who came out on top. Yes, I realize the 98th Academy Awards are over nine months away, and a lot can and will change between now and then—but, revisit the nominees for the 2025 ceremony, and you'll remember just how pivotal Cannes can be. Last year's Palme d'Or winner, Anora, went on to secure the best-picture statuette, and two of its nine fellow nominees in the top category, Emilia Pérez and The Substance, also premiered at the festival. In best director, three of the five nominees debuted their film at Cannes (including Sean Baker, who won), and of the 20 acting nominees, over a third walked the Croisette before they landed on the Oscars red carpet. Two of them, Anora's Mikey Madison and Emilia Pérez's Zoe Saldaña, left with two of the four acting prizes on offer. It's a truly staggering showing for a single festival, especially considering how early it falls in the awards season calendar. It's difficult to imagine this year's Cannes cohort—which includes many quieter, more contemplative films compared to the hoopla of Anora, The Apprentice, Emilia Pérez, and The Substance—having quite the same impact on the Oscar race, but still, there are plenty of releases that could very well dominate across the board, from best picture and the writing and directing line-ups to the highly competitive acting races. Below, a rundown of the releases currently surging, as well as those which have faced setbacks following a more muted Cannes debut than expected. It Was Just an Accident's Palme d'Or win could take it into the best-picture line-up
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
Iran silent as dissident director wins Cannes' top prize
Jafar Panahi has been banned from filmmaking since 2010 and jailed multiple times. (AP pic) TEHRAN : Iranian authorities offered no reaction today after dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi won the Cannes Film Festival's top prize for his political drama. Panahi, 64, was awarded the Palme d'Or last night for 'It Was Just an Accident' – a film in which five Iranians confront a man they believe tortured them in prison. A story inspired by his own time in detention, it had led critics' polls throughout the week at Cannes. The win has so far been met with silence from Iran's government and ignored by the state broadcaster, which instead focused on a state-aligned 'Resistance' film festival. The conservative Fars news agency suggested the jury's choice was politically motivated, saying it was 'not uninfluenced by the political issues surrounding Jafar Panahi inside Iran'. Reformist newspapers Etemad, Shargh and Ham Mihan reported the win on their websites but did not feature it on their front pages, possibly due to the timing of the announcement. Panahi, who has been banned from filmmaking since 2010 and jailed multiple times, addressed the Cannes audience with a call for national unity. He confirmed plans to return to Iran immediately. Asked last night if he feared arrest, he said: 'Not at all. Tomorrow we are leaving.' This marks only the second time an Iranian director has won the Palme d'Or, after the late Abbas Kiarostami received the honour for 'Taste of Cherry' in 1997. Both directors faced bans throughout their careers.
The National
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Late Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina overcame bomb threats to become first Arab to win Cannes Palme d'Or
In May 1975, Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina became the first Arab and African to win the Palme d'Or, the top honour at the Cannes Film Festival, for Chronicles of the Years of Fire. It was not just a moment of cinematic triumph for the Algerian filmmaker – who has died aged 95, his family said on Friday – but a testament to his resilience. After all, the screening of Chronicles of the Years of Fire was rife with tension. Lakhdar-Hamina was facing an assassination attempt as the festival received a series of bomb threats for giving the film and the filmmaker a platform. But what was it about Chronicles that caused such an uproar and made it one of the most politically charged titles to screen at Cannes? The historical epic is set between the 1930s and 1954, drawing a trajectory of the events that led to the Algerian War of Independence. The film is segmented into six chapters, showing Algeria's road to revolution through the perspective of Ahmed, a peasant who gradually becomes involved in the nationalist struggle against colonial rule. Each chapter represents a phase in Algeria's political awakening, beginning with drought, poverty and colonial exploitation before culminating in armed resistance and the first flares of the War of Algerian Independence. Ahmed's personal transformation, along with the experiences of his village, brilliantly depict this blooming political consciousness. As such, Chronicles of the Years of Fire is a portrait of the brutality of colonialism, showing how revolt was a natural result from years of repression and suffering. Yet, Lakhdar-Hamina made not only a political film, but also a poetic one – with tastefully paced scenes and tableauxesque shots that capture the communal and cultural significance of the moment. Lakhdar-Hamina drew from his personal background to make Chronicles. The filmmaker was born in 1934 to a peasant family in M'Sila. He studied agriculture and law in French universities. His father was kidnapped, tortured and killed by the French Army during the Algerian War. In 1958, Lakhdar-Hamina himself deserted the French Army and joined the Algerian resistance in Tunisia. Revolution and the anticolonial struggle was a lived experience, deftly communicated through Chronicles of the Years of Fire. The political implications of the film were towering for its time. The Algerian War had ended a mere 13 years before Chronicles was screened at Cannes. The conflict marked the end of 130 years of French colonial rule in Algeria, but it was signified by a reshaping of France's global position and identity. This was a change some segments of French society were not particularly happy with. The film exposed these ruptures, particularly when veterans of Organisation armee secrete – a far-right French paramilitary and terrorist group that opposed Algeria's independence – threatened to bomb the festival and kill Lakhdar-Hamina. Thankfully, the assassination attempt was not carried out, and Lakhdar-Hamina received his award with the pomp and ceremony he deserved. Chronicles of the Years of Fire still stands as both a cinematic feat and a political one. 'What prevails is the motivation for the Algerian War,' Lakhdar-Hamina has been quoted as saying in an article that marks the 50th anniversary of the film on the Cannes Film Festival website. 'For young people who have not known this era, this would help them understand, while older people will recognise the truth in what is being told.' Chronicles of the Years of Fire has endured, as Lakhdar-Hamina intended, as 'a film against injustice, against humiliation', while also being a sharp historical resource. It shows how the Algerian War was not merely a fight for political freedom and land, but also a struggle to reclaim cultural identity and dignity. Its legacy looms alongside that of the war, which continues to inform relations between France and Algeria, as well as conversations around postcolonial identity and memory.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Jafar Panahi returns to Iran in triumph after Cannes Palme d'Or win
Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi was given a hero's welcome on his return to Tehran on Monday after winning the top prize at the Cannes film festival, footage posted on social media showed. After being banned from leaving Iran for years, forced to make films underground and enduring spells in prison, Panahi attended the film festival in person and sensationally walked away with the Palme d'Or for his latest movie It Was Just an Accident. With some supporters concerned that Panahi could face trouble on his return to Iran, he arrived without incident at Tehran's main international airport, named after the founder of the 1979 Islamic revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in the early hours of Monday. He was immediately cheered by supporters waiting in the public area as he descended the escalator from passport control to baggage collection, footage posted by the Dadban legal monitor on social media showed. One person could be heard shouting 'Woman, life, freedom!', the slogan of the 2022-2023 protest movement that shook the Iranian authorities. On exiting, he was greeted by around a dozen supporters who had stayed up to welcome him, according to footage posted on Instagram by the Iranian director Mehdi Naderi and broadcast by the Iran International channel which is based outside Iran. Smiling broadly and waving, he was cheered, applauded, hugged and presented with flowers. 'Fresh blood in the veins of Iranian independent cinema,' wrote Naderi. The warm welcome from fans at the airport contrasted with the lukewarm reaction from Iranian state media and officials to the first time an Iranian film-maker was awarded the Palme d'Or since Taste of Cherry by the late Abbas Kiarostami in 1997. While mentioned by state media such as the IRNA news agency, Panahi's triumph has received only limited coverage inside Iran and has also sparked a diplomatic row with France. French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot called his victory 'a gesture of resistance against the Iranian regime's oppression' in a post on X, prompting Tehran to summon France's chargé d'affaires to protest against the 'insulting' comments. 'I am not an art expert, but we believe that artistic events and art in general should not be exploited to pursue political objectives,' said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei. The film is politically charged, showing five Iranians confronting a man they believe tortured them in prison, a story inspired by Panahi's own time in detention. After winning the prize, Panahi also made a resounding call for freedom in Iran. 'Let's set aside all problems, all differences. What matters most right now is our country and the freedom of our country.'
Al Arabiya
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Arabiya
Filmmaker Panahi cheered on return to Iran after Cannes triumph
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi was given a hero's welcome on his return to Tehran Monday by supporters after winning the top prize at the Cannes film festival, footage posted on social media showed. After being banned from leaving Iran for years, forced to make films underground and enduring spells in prison, Panahi attended the French festival in person and sensationally walked away with the Palme d'Or for his latest movie 'It Was Just an Accident.' With some fans concerned that Panahi could face trouble on his return to Iran, he arrived without incident at Tehran's main international airport, named after the founder of the 1979 Islamic Revolution Ruhollah Khomeini, in the early hours of Monday. He was immediately cheered by supporters waiting in the public area as he descended the escalator from passport control to baggage collection, footage posted by the Dadban legal monitor on social media showed. One person could be heard shouting 'Woman. Life. Freedom!', the slogan of the 2022-2023 protest movement that shook the Iranian authorities. On exiting, he was greeted by around a dozen supporters who had stayed up to welcome him, according to footage posted on Instagram by the Iranian director Mehdi Naderi and broadcast by the Iran International news channel which is based outside Iran. Smiling broadly and waving, he was cheered, applauded, hugged and presented with flowers. 'Fresh blood in the veins of Iranian independent cinema,' wrote Naderi. 'Gesture of resistance' The warm welcome from fans at the airport contrasted with the lukewarm reaction from Iranian state media and officials to the first time an Iranian filmmaker was awarded the Palme d'Or since 'The Taste of Cherry' by the late Abbas Kiarostami in 1997. While evoked by state media such as the IRNA news agency, Panahi's triumph has received only thin coverage inside Iran and has also sparked a diplomatic row with France. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called his victory 'a gesture of resistance against the Iranian regime's oppression' in a post on X, prompting Tehran to summon France's charge d'affaires to protest the 'insulting' comments. 'I am not an art expert, but we believe that artistic events and art in general should not be exploited to pursue political objectives,' said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei. The film is politically-charged, showing five Iranians confronting a man they believe tortured them in prison, a story inspired by Panahi's own time in detention. After winning the prize, Panahi also made a resounding call for freedom in Iran. 'Let's set aside all problems, all differences. What matters most right now is our country and the freedom of our country.'
