Sunday, May 27, 2012

2012 Festival de Cannes – award winners


The 65th Festival de Cannes drew to a close tonight with the closing awards ceremony at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, hosted by Academy Award nominated actress Berenice Bejo.

The top prize was captured yet again by Michael Haneke for his portrait of an elderly couple Amour. This is the second time he has bested Jacques Audiard who was also in competition with De rouille et d'os (Rust and Bone). Haneke becomes one of the few two-time Palme d'Or winners alongside Alf Sjöberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Bille August, Emir Kusturica, Shohei Imamura, and brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, and only the second after August to win with consecutive films – his previous Palme d'Or was for his 2009 film Das weiße Band (The White Ribbon).

Matteo Garrone picked up his second Grand Prix for his film Reality. Previously, he had won in 2008 for Gomorrah.

The surprise winner for the Jury Prize was Ken Loach with The Angels' Share. He previously won the Palme d'Or in 2006 with The Wind That Shakes the Barley.

Another previous Palme d'Or winner won Best Screenplay. Cristian Mungiu who made 4 luni, 3 săptămâni şi 2 zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) returned with După dealuri (Beyond the Hills), and it also shared the Best Actress for its stars Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur.

The other big surprise of the night was Best Director winners Carlos Reygadas for Post tenebras lux (Light After Darkness). His film was considered very polarizing and critical response was divided.

In spite of the heavy American representation in the selection, no American film won in the main competition. The only American prize-winner was Benh Zeitlin's Un Certain Regard entry Beasts of the Southern Wild which won the Camera d'Or for first film. Last night, it had won the FIPRESCI international critics' prize.

While Holy Motors by Leos Carax generated a lot of excitement and buzz, it was apparently hated by Jury President Nanni Moretti. The other jurors were actress Hiam Abbass, director Andrea Arnold, actress Emmanuelle Devos, fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaulthier, actress Diane Kruger, actor Ewan McGregor, director Alexander Payne and director Raoul Peck.

The ceremony concluded with a screening of the late Claude Miller's Thérèse Desqueyroux, his final film.

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Complete list of winners for the 65th Festival de Cannes

Palme d'Or
Amour, Michael Haneke (France-Germany-Austria)

Grand Prix
Reality, Matteo Garrone (Italy-France)

Jury Prize
The Angels' Share, Ken Loach (U.K.-France-Belgium-Italy)

Best Director
Carlos Reygadas, Post tenebras lux (Light After Darkness) (Mexico-France-Germany-Netherlands)

Best Actress
Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur, După dealuri (Beyond the Hills) (Romania-France-Belgium)

Best Actor
Mads Mikkelsen, Jagten (The Hunt) (Denmark-Sweden)

Best screenplay
Cristian Mungiu, După dealuri (Beyond the Hills) (Romania-France-Belgium)

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Caméra d'or
Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin (U.S.)

Palme d'or for Best Short Film
Sessiz-be deng (Silence), Rezan Yeşilbaş (Turkey)

Prix Vulcain de l'Artiste Technicien
Charlotte Bruss-Christensen, for the outstanding cinematography of the film Jagten (The Hunt) by Thomas Vinterberg

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