Cannes 2018 Winners
For a “slow year” the award winning films saw lots of sales. Let’s look to the box office numbers next.
Competition
The Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda won the Palme d’Or at the 71st Cannes Film Festival for Shoplifters, about a family of thieves and throwaways living on the margins in Japan. Magnolia acquired U.S. rights from Wild Bunch and CAA. It also sold to Film Europe for Czech Republic and Slovakia, Filmbazar for Denmark, Edko for Hong Kong, Lev Cinemas/ Shani for Israel, Gaga for Japan, Clover for Singapore, Tcast for So. Korea, Kino Pavasaris for the Baltics, September for Benelux, Golem for Spain, Cineworx for Switzerland, Cai Chang for Taiwan, Filmarti for Turkey. Read the Indiewire review here.
Spike Lee won the Grand Prix, the festival’s second prize, for BlacKkKlansman, based on the strange, true-life story of a black detective who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s and also an indictment of President Donald J. Trump. Mr. Lee has received some of the strongest reviews of his recent career for the movie. ISA is Universal and U.S. and U.K. distribution by Focus. Read Indiewire review here.
For the first time in the festival’s history, the jury presented a Special Palme d’Or, which was given to Jean-Luc Godard, for Jean Luc Godard for his film The Image Book. Ms. Blanchett praised the movie for “stretching the boundaries” of the art form and “defining and redefining cinema.” Mr. Godard was not present. Kino Lorber acquired No. American rights from Wild Bunch. Kino is planning a 2019 theatrical release for the essay film, which is in Arabic, English, French and Italian. It also sold to Comstock for Japan, Weird Wave for Greece and Fabula for Turkey. Read Indiewire review here.
The Jury Prize — the third prize — was given to Capernaum, about a neglected 12-year-old boy from the Lebanese director Nadine Labaki. Sony Pictures Classics acquired No American and Latin American rights from Wild Bunch. SPC plans to open the film in December qualifying the movie for year-end awards consideration. It also sold to Kino Pavasaris for the Baltics and Filmcoopi for Switzerland. Read Indiewire review here.
The Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski won best director, for Cold War, which follows two lovers from the end of World War II into the 1960s across countries and shifting political realities. Amazon picked it up last August for U.S.from Protagonist and MK2. It also sold to Cineart for Benelux, Diaphana for France, Mozinet for Hungary, Lev Cinemas/ Shani for Israel, Lucky Red for Italy, Canibal Networks for Mexico, Kino Swiat for Poland, Midas for Portugal, MCF Megacom for former Yugoslavia/Albania, Filmcoopi for Switzerland, Curzon Artificial Eye for U.K. Based on his own parents’ love story, this gorgeously shot, Robert Doisneau-esque (when in Paris) black and white period piece takes a slice of your heart away in its retelling. Read Indiewire review here.
The screenplay award was shared by the Italian director Alice Rohrwacher’s Happy as Lazzaro and the Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s Three Faces. Both Mr. Panahi and the Russian filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov had been banned from attending by their countries. Netflix acquired Happy as Lazzaro on the same day the awards were announced. Cinemien acquired it for Benelux, Seven Films for Greece, 01 for Italy, Ad Vitam for France, Filmcoopi for Switzerland, Mirror Stage for Taiwan, Filmarti for Turkey. Read Indiewire review here.
Three Faces was licensed by Celluloid Dreams to Madmen for Australia/ N.Z., Imagine for Benelux, Imovision for Brazil, DDDream for China, Memento for France, Weltkino for Germany, Golden Scene for Hong Kong, Alliance for India, Cinema for Italy, Golem for Spain, Folkets Bio for Sweden, Filmcoopi for Switzerland, Filmarti for Turkey, New Wave for U.K. U.S. is still available. Read Indiewire review of Three Faces here.
Short Film Palme d’Or: All These Creatures, Charles Williams. The Australian short, the fifth from director Williams, has not yet been picked up for North American distribution.
Samal Yeslyamova won best actress for her title performance in Sergey Dvortsevoy’s Ayka. Sergei Dvortsevoy’s Kazakh drama has not yet been picked up for North American distribution from The Match Factory. It was also licensed to ARP for France, Neue Visionen for Germany, Filmcoopi for Switzerland, Filmarti for Turkey.
The best actor prize was given to Marcello Fonte, who starred in Matteo Garrone’s Dogman. Hanway licensed it to A-One for the Baltics and Russia, Cineart for Benelux, Time-in-Portrait for China, Le Pacte for France, Alamode for Germany and Austria, Feelgood for Greece, 01 and Rai Com for Italy, M2 for Poland, MCF — MegaCom Film for Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia, Midas for Portugal, Karma for Spain, Filmarti for Turkey. Best Actor in Competition went to Marcello Fonte for Dogman. Matteo Garrone’s revenge drama has not yet been picked up for North American distribution. Read Indiewire review here.
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard winner, Border, directed by Danish-Iranian Ali Abbasi and written by the writer of Let The Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist was acquired by Neon for No. America from Films Boutique. Read the Indiewire review here.
Un Certain Regard Prize winner for Best Screenplay, Sofia by Moroccan director Meryem Benm’barek, sold by Be for Films has not yet been picked up for North American distribution. Memento has France.
Un Certain Regard Prize for Best Director went to Sergei Loznitsa for Donbassa Ukrainian war film which opened the section and has not yet signed for North American distribution. Pyramide licensed it to Imagine for Benelux, Pyramide for France, Salzgeber for Germany, Ama for Greece, Arthouse Traffic for Ukraine.
Un Certain Regard Jury Special Prize went to The Dead and the Others by Joao Salaviza and Renee Nader Messorad. The film was inspired by the directors’ own time living in Pedra Branca, a village of the Krahô people in North Brazil centers on a Krahô teen torn between two different worlds. This Brazilian documentary about indigenous culture explores how ancient traditions have been destroyed by the government due to their lack of public policy for the indigenous lands. It has not yet been picked up for North American distribution. ISA: Luxbox.
Best Actor Award went to Victor Polster for Girl directed by Lukas Dhont for which Victor Polster. It won the Queer Palm as well. This coming-of-age film about a transgender ballerina was picked up by Netflix from The Match Factory who licensed it to Lumiere for Benelux, Diaphana for France, Seven Films for Greece, Mirror Stage for Taiwan.
Critics Week
Winner is the transgender drama Diamantino, a Franco-Brazilian-Portuguese comedy drama by first time co-directors Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt being sold by Charades. Vitrine has Brazil and Filmes do Tejo has Portugal. Diamantino, the world’s premiere soccer star loses his special touch and ends his career in disgrace. Searching for a new purpose, the international icon sets on a delirious odyssey where he confronts neo-fascism, the refugee crisis, genetic modification, and the hunt for the source of genius.
The prize for the best short film was awarded to Hector Malot: The Last Day of the Year (Ektoras Malo : I Teleftea Mera Tis Chronias) by Greek director Jacqueline Lentzou.
Other prizes awarded at the ceremony included: the SACD Prize for Icelandic-French-Ukrainian film Woman at War by Benedikt Erlingsson sold by Beta to Camera for Denmark, Jour2Fete for France, Filmcoopi for Switzerland; and the GAN Foundation Award for Distribution, to Franco-Indian effort Sir sold by MK2 to Diaphana for France. Felix Maritaud won the Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award for his role in Camille Vidal-Naquet’s Sauvage sold by Pyramide who also distributes in France.
Directors’ Fortnight
Winner of Directors’ Fortnight Art Cinema Award, Climax (France, Belgium) by Gaspar Noé was acquired by A24 for No. America from Wild Bunch who also distributes in France and Germany. Read the Indiewire review here.
Europa Cinemas Prize went to Lucia’s Grace by Gianni Zanasi. The Italian comedy — starring Alba Rohrwacher, sister of Alice — has not yet been picked up for North American distribution from The Match Factory but has sold to Bim for Italy.
SACD Prize for Directors’ Fortnight film went to The Trouble With You by Pierre Salvadori. The French caper comedy has not yet been picked up for North American distribution from MK2 but has sold to The Searchers for Benelux, MK2/ Mile End for Canada, Memento for France, Filmcoopi for Switzerland
Illy Prize for Best Short Film in Directors’ Fortnight went to Skip Day (U.S.) by Patrick Bresnan and Ivete Lucas about a group of friends breaking loose the day after prom has not yet been picked up for North American distribution, though it will be available for viewing at The Guardian later this year.
Short Film Queer Palm went to The Orphan by Carolina Markowicz. Markowicz’s fact-based short has not yet been picked up for North American distribution.
