17-05-2025
From Palme d'Or to Best Picture: Cannes' Impact on the Oscars Is Stronger Than Ever
For years, the Cannes Film Festival has been synonymous with glamour, prestige and cinematic artistry, with more than a few awards season darlings debuting there. But over the last decade, as Oscar hopefuls increasingly shifted their debuts to Venice, Telluride and Toronto, Cannes saw its influence on awards season diminish.
That's no longer the case. In the last three years, Oscar best picture contenders (as well as international feature nominees) emerged from its lineup — most notably Palme d'Or winners 'Triangle of Sadness' (2022) and 'Anatomy of a Fall' (2023). At this year's Oscars, Cannes Palme d'Or winner 'Anora' took best pic, director and actress, while Oscar nominees 'Flow,' which won for animated feature, 'The Substance,' 'The Apprentice' and 'Emilia Pérez,' with Zoe Saldaña taking home best supporting actress (she and her co-stars collectively won acting kudos at Cannes as well), all launched on the Croisette.
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In 2025, the festival is poised to reassert its dominance as an awards season juggernaut.
With highly anticipated films from auteurs like Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater and Spike Lee, this year's slate is packed with bold, visionary storytelling. According to industry insiders, the buzz around the Palais des Festivals is approaching the same fever pitch typically reserved for the Dolby Theatre in March.
'This year's lineup is very promising,' says one awards consultant. 'We're seeing a return to form — not just for the festival, but for the idea that a film can be both artistically daring and awards-relevant.'
Historically, Cannes has served as the place where filmmakers cemented or made their reputations on a global scale. Think Quentin Tarantino's Palme d'Or win for 'Pulp Fiction' (1994), Abdellatif Kechiche's emotionally raw 'Blue Is the Warmest Color' (2013) and Bong Joon Ho's 'Parasite,' which began its path to Oscar gold with a standing ovation on the French Riviera in 2019.
But Cannes' strict premiere policies and early calendar placement at times made it feel out of sync with the more strategic awards campaigns of the fall festival circuit. Venice capitalized on the power shift, premiering future Oscar winners like 'The Shape of Water' (2018) and 'Joker' (2019), while Telluride and Toronto became favorites for launching studio-backed contenders like 'The King's Speech' (2010), 'Argo' (2012) and 'Moonlight' (2016).
Cannes, meanwhile, developed a reputation — especially in the U.S. — as more of a global distribution showcase than a feeder for the Academy Awards.
That perception is now rapidly shifting. In a fragmented media landscape, where theatrical windows are shrinking and the Oscars continue to fight for relevance, Cannes offers something increasingly rare: a global stage, immediate visibility and a built-in stamp of artistic legitimacy.
As the theatrical landscape continues to evolve post-COVID and the Academy embraces a more international membership, Cannes' early slot is being reframed as a strategic advantage rather than a liability.
The strategy reflects a larger shift in industry thinking: Cannes isn't merely a festival — it's a platform for long-term positioning. A breakout at Cannes doesn't simply generate acclaim; it sets in motion a year-long campaign arc that can culminate at the Oscars.
'We're building narratives for our films months ahead of the fall fests,' says one executive at a studio with projects in this year's lineup. 'If the reception is huge, we've got time to ride that momentum into the fall and fine-tune our campaign.'
Michael Barker, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, agrees Cannes has long played a pivotal role in shaping the awards conversation — and not just recently. 'I think it's been that way for a long time,' Barker says. 'You go back to a film like [2012's] 'Amour' — that set the table. 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' — the response there was so over the top. You knew in that moment Brad Pitt was going to win the Oscar.'
Barker also sees Cannes as vital for discovery, noting that it remains a place 'where companies continue to find jewels under the rock. It's famous for that — films that become successful around the world, whether in the market or with awards.'
Sony Pictures Classics arrives this year with Scarlett Johansson's directorial debut, 'Eleanor the Great,' screening in Un Certain Regard.
Cannes' resurgence has been fueled by a new generation of distributors who've cracked the code on translating festival buzz into Oscar gold. Neon's 2019 campaign for 'Parasite' — which became the first non-English-language film to win best picture — is widely seen as the blueprint.
Since then, Neon has returned to Cannes to acquire Palme d'Or winners 'Titane' (2021), 'Triangle of Sadness' and 'Anatomy of a Fall,' with the latter two making notable showings during awards season in the U.S. This year, the distributor returns with several high-profile entries, including Joachim Trier's dramedy 'Sentimental Value,' starring Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård — already considered a top contender for the jury's selection.
While Venice, Telluride and Toronto remain critical to any awards campaign — particularly for building U.S. buzz and courting North American Academy members — Cannes is now being taken more seriously by acquisition teams and awards strategists alike.
Scott Shooman, Head of IFC Entertainment Group, also sees Cannes as perfectly aligned with today's global Oscar strategies. 'The starter pistol goes off when that red carpet is rolled out at Cannes,' Shooman says. 'It used to feel like there was too much real estate to cover between Cannes and awards season. But now, because of the Academy's international expansion, Cannes has become the worldwide launchpad.'
Shooman notes that Cannes now offers a clear first-mover advantage. 'It's not about worrying if a film will burn out before the fall — it's about building a long, global runway. And if you win the Palme d'Or now and you don't land a best picture nomination, that would honestly be the surprise,' he says.
IFC will be premiering the Australian survival horror film 'Dangerous Animals,' starring Jai Courtney, as part of the Directors' Fortnight section.
Among other films generating early buzz: Wes Anderson's latest, 'The Phoenician Scheme,' a spy thriller backed by Focus Features that stars Benicio del Toro and introduces Mia Threapleton — daughter of Oscar-winner Kate Winslet — in what insiders say is a breakout role.
From A24 and filmmaker Ari Aster, 'Eddington' stars Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix and is rumored to be another surreal, genre-bending project.
And then there are the acquisition titles. Studio heads and acquisition teams are traveling with their company's checkbooks, ready to put down offers for some of the festival's most exciting and buzzy stories.
Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson star in the thriller 'Die, My Love,' directed by Lynne Ramsay, which was added to the competition lineup after the initial announcement — a late addition that has drawn considerable attention from buyers.
Artistic director Thierry Frémaux has also programmed Cannes mainstays such as the Belgian auteur duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, who are among only nine filmmakers to have won the Palme twice, with 'Rosetta' (1999) and 'L'Enfant' (2005).
'Titane' helmer Julia Ducournau returns to the fest with the dark psychological drama 'Alpha,' starring Emma Mackey and Tahar Rahim. The film follows a troubled teenager whose world spirals after an unexpected moment of rebellion.
And then there's 'The History of Sound,' directed by Oliver Hermanus. This romantic wartime drama stars Josh O'Connor and Paul Mescal as two young men falling in love during World War I — already pegged as a high-profile acquisition title that could be a major player in acting and craft categories.
Not every awards movie from the festival fits a traditional mold. In 2022, Paramount Pictures debuted the sequel 'Top Gun: Maverick' out of competition, which went on to earn $1.5 billion globally and garner six Oscar nominations, including best picture. Paramount and Tom Cruise are hoping lightning can strike twice as they bring 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,' the final mission for Cruise's Ethan Hunt.
The Academy, too, is leaning into the festival. Every year, it hosts a private mixer during Cannes for its international members, creating space for networking and relationship-building without press intrusion.
'It's not about whether a film is French, American or Korean anymore,' says one strategist. 'It's about Cannes giving it that first big ovation — and letting the world know, 'Pay attention.''
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