Cannes Film Festival 2023 Roundup

 The films were OK but lacked some luster on the whole. The list of winners of the festival(s) follows. Women filmmakers swept most of the top awards from Competition to Un Certain Regard and Critics’ Week. The market was also OK, but not great. Rights sold before the festival and during the festival are listed with the winning titles.

The disrupters, the big streamers, were in the background and theatrical rights were being acquired by indie distributors. France’s theatrical exhibition has sprung back to its pre-COVID levels while others’ like Germany, Italy and the U.S. remain 30% below.

Read The Film Verdict Summation and Reviews of Cannes FF 2003 here. Their summation in part: 

The most common line heard on the Croisette was that the main section was stuffed with minor films from major directors, which does no one any favors. But there were happy exceptions, which included 83-year-old Marco Bellocchio’s dramatically exciting and thought-provoking Kidnapped, a summing-up of his many films dealing with the Catholic religion and how a child’s cultural identity is created beginning at a young age. Disappointingly, the jury led by two-time Palme d’Or winner Ruben Ostlund overlooked the film entirely when they awarded their prizes.

Another classic director who returned in top form was 77-year-old Wim Wenders with two masterful films: Anselm, a ravishing 3D documentary portrait of artist Anselm Kiefer, and Perfect Days, a lyrical Japanese-language character study of a Tokyo toilet attendant. Justly winning the Best Actor prize for his Zen-like performance in the latter title was Koji Yakusho.

Cannes Film Festival Winners:

Palme d’Or
Anatomy of a Fall, Directed by Justine Triet

ISA: MK2 rights sold pre-Cannes to France-Le Pacte; Hong Kong — Golden Scene; Italy-Teodora; Russia, CIS, Baltics-Provzglyad; Spain-Elastica, Filmin; Taiwan-Hooray; Turkey-Mars. Cannes: No. America-Neon; Brazil-Diamond; Switzerland-Cineworx; U.K./Ireland-Picturehouse

Grand Prix
The Zone of Interest, Directed by Jonathan Glazer 

ISA: A24. No. America: A24.

Jury Prize
Fallen Leaves, Directed by Aki Kaurismaki

ISA: The Match Factory sold pre-Cannes rights to Austria/ Germany-Pandora; Baltics-A-One; Benelux-September; ex-Yugo-MCF; Finland-BPlan; France-Diaphana; Greece-Cinobo; Hungary-Cirko; Israel-Lev; Italy-Lucky Red; Japan-Eurospace; Norway-Arthause; Portugal-Midas; Sweden-Folkets Bio; Switzerland-Filmcoopi. Cannes sales to Latvia/ Lithuania-A One

Best Director
Tran Anh Hung for The Pot au Feu

ISA: Gaumont sold to Australia/ N.Z.-Rialto; Belgium-Athena; Brazil-Diamond; Canada-Mongrel; France-Gaumont; Germany-Weltkino; Hong Kong-First Distributors; Israel-Lev/ Shani; Italy-Lucky Red; Japan-Gaga; Portugal-Sun; Spain-A Contracorriente; Switzerland-Frenetic; Taiwan-Swallow Wings; U.K./ Ireland-Picturehouse; U.S.-Sun

Best Screenplay
Yuji Sakamoto for Monster directed by Kore-eda Hirokazu

ISA: Goodfellas and Gaga sold pre-Cannes to Australia/ N.Z.-Madman; Benelux, Surinam, Dutch Antilles-September; Finland-Cinema Mondo; Hungary-Cirko; Japan-Gaga. Cannes to Bulgaria-Beta; Ex-Yugo-MCF Megacom; Germany-Wild Bunch; Greece-Spentzos; India-Impact; Indonesia-Falcon; Israel-Lev/ Shani; Italy-Bim; Hong Kong-Edko; Japan-Toho; Poland-Best; Portugal-Midas; Singapore-Clover/ Golden Village; So. Korea-Media Castle; Spain-Vertigo; Sweden-Triart; Switzerland-Cineworx, Taiwan-Movie Cloud; Thailand-Sahamongkolfilm; Turkiye-Filmarti; U.K./ Ireland-Picturehouse; U.S.-Well Go/ Relativity

Best Actress
Merve Dizdar for About Dry Grasses directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan

ISA Playtime sold pre-Cannes rights to Austria-Filmladen; Benelux, Surinam, Dutch Antilles-September; France-Memento; Italy-Movies Inspired, Taiwan-Swallow Wings. Cannes: Canada-Sphere; Turkey-Bir; U.K./ Ireland-Picturehouse; U.S.-Janus/ Criterion/ Sideshow 

Best Actor
Kôji Yakusho for Perfect Days directed by Wim Wenders

ISA The Match Factory sold rights to Madman-Australia/ N.Z.; Artfest-Bulgaria; DDDream-China; Aerofilms-Czech & Slovakia; Haut et Court-France; Feelgood-Greece; Edko-Hong Kong; Cirko-Hungary; Lev-Israel; Lucky Red-Italy; Gutek-Poland; Alambique-Portugal; Bad Unicorn-Romania; A Contracorriente-Spain; DCM-Switzerland; Applause-Taiwan; MUBI-Ireland, Turkiye, U.K., U.S.; Neon-U.S.

Palme d’Or for Best Short Film: 27, Directed by Flora Anna Buda

Special Mention to a Short Film: Far, Directed by Gunnur Martinsdottir Schluter

UN CERTAIN REGARD

Un Certain Regard Prize
How to Have Sex, Directed by Molly Manning Walker

ISA MK2 sold rights to Imagine-Benelux; Greece-Cinobo; N.Z.-Ahi; Russian World Vision-Russia; Turkiye, U.K./ Ireland, Italy, U.S.-MUBI

Jury Prize
Hounds, Directed by Kamal Lazraq

ISA Charades sold to Ad Vitam-France; Zabriskie-Spain

Best Director
Asmae El Moudir For The Mother of All Lies

ISA Autlook

New Voice Prize
Augure (Omen), Directed by Baloji Tshiani

ISA Memento

Ensemble Prize
The Buriti Flower, Directed by Joao Salaviza and Renée Nader Messora

Freedom Prize
Goodbye Julia, Directed by Mohamed Kordofani

CAMERA D’OR

Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, Directed by Thien An Pham

THE GOLDEN EYE DOCUMENTARY PRIZE

Awarded ex aequo to: Four Daughters, Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
and The Mother of All Lies, Directed by Asmae El Moudir

62nd LA SEMAINE DE LA CRITIQUE

Grand Prize
Tiger Stripes, Directed by Amanda Nell Eu

French Touch Jury Prize to It’s Raining in the House, Directed by Paloma Sermon-Dai

Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award to Jovan Ginic For Lost Country

Leitz Cine Discovery Prize for a Short Film to Bolero, Directed by Nans Laborde-Jourdàa

Gan Foundation Award for Distribution to Pyramide Films for Inshallah a Boy

SACD Award to Iris Kaltenback, Writer of The Rapture

Canal+ Award for a Short Film to Bolero, Directed by Nans Laborde-Jourdàa

FIPRESCI International Competition: The Zone of Interest

FIPRESCI Un Certain Regard: The Settlers (Los Colonos)

FIPRESCI Directors’ Fortnight & Critics’ Week: Power Alley (Levante)

Ecumenical Jury Prize to Perfect Days, Directed by Wim Wenders

Queer Palm Award to Monster, Directed by Hirokazu Kore-Eda

Palme Dog to border collie Messie in Anatomy of a Fall