Neon CEO Tom Quinn took no possibilities this yr en path to successful the corporate’s sixth Cannes Palme d’Or in a row, for Iranian dissident Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Simply an Accident.” He acquired the movie simply two days earlier than Saturday’s award ceremony. Neon additionally collected the competition Jury Prize for “Sirât” (shared with MUBI’s latest purchase “Sound of Falling”), and two awards for Brazil’s “The Secret Agent” — Finest Director (Kleber Mendonça Filho) and Actor (Wagner Moura ).
Neon got here out forward on the acquisitions derby, as MUBI’s starry $23-million pick-up “Die My Love,” from Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay, got here up empty-handed. A Cannes Actress win for Jennifer Lawrence might have fueled an Oscar marketing campaign, however that loss received’t cease MUBI from pursuing that aim.
The American Competitors entries whiffed on the Cannes awards, together with Ari Aster’s political western “Eddington” (A24) and Wes Anderson’s sketchy “The Phoenician Scheme” (Focus). One of many fashionable movies at Cannes was Spike Lee’s Out of Competitors “Highest 2 Lowest” (Apple TV+/A24, August 22) starring the mighty Denzel Washington. The extraordinary New York household drama, tailored from Akira Kurosawa’s “Excessive and Low,” wasn’t in Competitors as a result of the competition wasn’t positive they’d get Washington on the crimson carpet. To their shock and delight, the 70-year-old made the journey on his sooner or later off, Monday Could 19, and accepted a shock Honorary Palme d’Or from Lee. That form of publicity fuels an Oscar marketing campaign.
All of the Cannes awards winners are right here.
Neon got here into the competition with its pre-production acquisition from Cannes 2024, Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Worth,” which took dwelling the competition’s second prize, the Grand Prix. Quinn clearly is aware of the way to choose them. (Try our candid Display screen Discuss dialog with him right here.)
What is going to occur with the award-winners on the Oscars? Solely Norway’s household drama “Sentimental Worth” has the suitable stuff to win main Oscars past Finest Worldwide Characteristic Movie. Neon is certain to push within the performing classes Swedish veteran Stellan Skarsgård (“Breaking the Waves,” “Andor,” “Chernobyl”), who earned raves for his wily function as an ageing filmmaker making an attempt to make a comeback, and 2021 Cannes actress winner Renate Reinsve (“The Worst Particular person within the World”) as his estranged, neurotic actress daughter. Final yr, Reinsve’s “Armand” was submitted by Norway.
One other film Neon might rating an Oscar nomination for is Ugo Bienvenu’s charming French animated characteristic “Arco,” which, like “Stream,” has an eco-message. Neon beforehand launched “Flee” and “Robotic Desires” to Oscar nominations.
All of the Cannes winners now can have a greater shot at being submitted by their dwelling nation.
Jafar Panahi may gain advantage from the Academy’s new asylum rule: “The submitting nation should verify that artistic management of the movie was largely within the fingers of residents, residents, or people with refugee or asylum standing within the submitting nation.” Whereas Panahi and Iran have been at odds for many years for his persevering with criticism of the federal government, and he filmed the film in secret, he has not but requested asylum from one other nation. That would change. However Iran won’t submit the movie. Cinetic Media, which marketed seven of the winners on Saturday, steered that Luxembourg would possibly wind up capable of submit “It was Simply an Accident.” France might also be a risk because the movie’s put up was accomplished there.
Belgium might select as its Oscar entry “Younger Moms,” which received Finest Screenplay for the Dardenne brothers, who’ve received many prizes, together with two Palmes through the years. Belgium generally submits them for the Oscars, generally not.
Listed here are the doubtless nation submissions for Cannes award-winners for Finest Worldwide Characteristic Movie, in alphabetical order:
“The Secret Agent” (Brazil)
“Sentimental Worth” (Norway)
“Sirât” (France or Spain)
“Sound of Falling” (Germany)
“Younger Moms” (Belgium)
Different movies that didn’t win prizes might additionally wind up within the Worldwide race, together with “Eagles of the Republic” (Competitors, Sweden) and “The Love That Stays” (Cannes Premiere, Iceland).
Sidebar award-winners additionally get a leg up. (Un Sure Regard award winners are right here.) Distributors will take word that Frank Dillane received Finest Actor in Un Sure Regard for his transferring and humorous portrait of an unhoused man in British actor Harris Dickinson’s debut characteristic “Urchin.” With the suitable push, he might wind up within the Finest Actor race. Un Sure Regard Particular Jury Prize-winner “Un Poeta” might be submitted by Colombia. Additionally in Un Sure Regard however not successful a prize is Nigerian-set “My Father’s Shadow,” which might be submitted by the UK.
Not successful an award makes “Nouvelle Obscure,” American director Richard Linklater’s French-produced homage to Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless,” a much less doubtless French entry. The movie is searching for distribution. Hafsia Herzi’s gross sales title “The Little Sister,” which took Finest Actress for Nadia Melliti, might be the French submission as a substitute.
