Cannes Breaks Record With Nine Oscars, as ‘Anora’ Becomes Third Palme d’Or Winner to Nab a Best Picture Oscar

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This year’s Oscars saw a significant triumph for American independent filmmaking as Sean Baker’s “Anora” bagged four major prizes, including Best Picture. However, this success is equally noteworthy for the Cannes Film Festival, which served as its setting.

At the Cannes Film Festival, “Anora,” “Emilia Perez,” “The Substance,” and “Flow” garnered a total of nine awards out of 31 nominations, significantly surpassing the Venice Film Festival where Walter Salles’ “I’m Still Here” won for Best International Feature Film. Additionally, Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” received three nominations, with Adrien Brody being recognized for his role as Best Actor.

As a passionate cinephile, I’m thrilled to share that “Anora,” which claimed the Palme d’Or, best director, best actress for Mikey Madison, original screenplay, and editing, is an exceptional achievement. It’s one of only three films to win the Palme d’Or and Best Picture at the Oscars – joining Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” (2019) and Delbert Mann’s “Marty” (1955). Interestingly, Billy Wilder’s “The Lost Weekend,” which won the top prize at Cannes in 1945, predates the Palme d’Or era; it was known as the Grand Prize then. Other American films like Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” and Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” have garnered prestigious awards but haven’t quite matched this double triumph. While “Pulp Fiction” secured best screenplay for Tarantino and Roger Avary, and “The Tree of Life” earned three Oscar nominations, they didn’t take home the top prize.

Coralie Fargeat’s daring film “The Substance,” which debuted in competition at Cannes and took home the award for best makeup and hairstyling, surprisingly missed out on winning Demi Moore the best actress accolade. However, “The Substance” made history as the first genre movie to secure five Oscar nominations in significant categories, solidifying Fargeat’s reputation as an innovative filmmaker with a bright future. Streamed by Mubi, “The Substance” was a box office success, earning over $78 million globally and attracting audiences beyond those who typically enjoy genre films.

Coralie Fargeat’s movie “The Substance,” which showed at Cannes and won best makeup, didn’t win for Demi Moore as best actress. But it was the first horror movie to get nominated in big Oscar categories! It made a lot of money worldwide and got people who don’t usually watch horror movies interested too. The film is available on Mubi.

As a cinephile, I can’t help but reflect on the intriguing case of Julia Ducournau’s “Titane,” which clinched the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival last year. Surprisingly, despite being submitted by France’s Oscar committee, it was not included in the race for International Feature Film.

A lesser-known film, “Flow,” directed by Gints Zibalodis, managed to outshine many other movies this year despite its premiere at Cannes in 2024. This Latvian animated movie tells the story of a solitary cat’s voyage and even surpassed Disney blockbusters like “Inside Out 2.” Remarkably, this silent film received recognition at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section and also won a Golden Globe, among numerous other awards.

Jacques Audiard’s movie “Emilia Perez,” which earned two awards at Cannes and later Zoe Saldana for best supporting actress and Camille and Clement Ducol for best song (“El Mal”) at the Oscars, faced challenges when offensive tweets by Karla Sofia Gascon were uncovered, causing its Oscar campaign to falter. However, despite the controversy surrounding the film’s portrayal of Mexico and Gascon’s tweets, “Emilia Perez” managed to win seven nominations at France’s Cesar Awards on Friday, including best film and director.

Over the last few years, the prestigious Cannes Film Festival has been experiencing a surge of success. In 2024 alone, it garnered three out of 26 Oscar nominations, with Thierry Fremaux’s carefully selected lineup taking center stage. The Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall,” directed by Justine Triet, clinched the best original screenplay award at the Oscars. Additionally, “The Zone of Interest” won both the best international feature film and best sound categories. Other notable Oscar winners that debuted at Cannes include Ryūsuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car.

The increasing number of foreign films at the Oscars is a testament to the growing number of AMPAS members based outside of the U.S., estimated to be around 30%. However, the victory of “Anora” over its international competitors for Best Picture suggests that the voters are keen on supporting American independent cinema, which has encountered difficulties with production, funding, and box office success in recent times.

Starting from May 13th to the 24th, the 78th iteration of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival is set to unfold. The program for this event should be revealed around the middle or end of April. As previously communicated, acclaimed actress Juliette Binoche will lead the competition jury, and Brazil will serve as the festival’s featured country at the Cannes Film Market.

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2025-03-03 21:17