Although awards events are low on my priorities list, the results are often helpful in discovering the new. This is especially true in the case of the Cannes Film Festival. (Photo – Serge and Jane, Cannes in 1969).

It originally came into being in 1946 to compete with the Venice Film Festival although the date was later changed from autumn to spring so there was no conflict. The festival that traditionally highlights European Art cinema and the more interesting American films and directors, has become influential and popular showcasing some of the more thought provoking films released from all over the world. This year a Turkish film, Winter Sleep directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan won the Palme d’or and an Italian film The Wonders directed by Alice Rohrwacher was the runner up. The American Bennett Miller won best director for his film Foxcatcher. British actor Timothy Spall won best actor for his role in Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner and Julianne Moore won best actress in David Cronenberg’s Map To The Stars.

Despite what its says on wikipedia the first  American film to win the Palme d’or was Marty and starred Ernest Borgnine in the starring role. In 1939 a festival that became the Cannes Film Festival was set up and honoured Cecil B. DeMille’s film Union Pacific but this was before the Palme d’or was introduced.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palme_d’Or

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marty_(film)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannes_Film_Festival

http://www.festival-cannes.com/en.html

Other winners include newcomer 25 year old Canadian director Xavier Dolan with Mommy sharing the third place with Goodbye To Language with an 83 year old Jean-Luc Goddard.

Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan won best screenplay, hailed as a new Russian masterpiece by The Guardian, read the review here:

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/22/cannes-2014-leviathan-review-film

Debut director’s prize (Camera d’or) went to Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger and Samuel Theis for French drama, Party Girl.

Colombian Simón Mesa Soto won the short film prize for Leidl.

Special mentions for two short films – Aïssa by French director Clément Trehin-Lalanne and Ja Vi Elsker (Yes We Love) by Norwegian director Hallvar Witzo.

Cannes Film Festival Winners – 2014:

Palme d’Or  – Winter Sleep – dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Grand Prize –  The Wonders – dir: Alice Rohrwacher
Best Director  – Bennett Miller – Foxcatcher
Jury Prize – (Tie) Mommy dir: Xavier Dolan / Goodbye To Language dir: Jean-Luc Godard
Best Screenplay – Andrey Zvyagintsev/ Oleg Negin – Leviathan
Best Actress – Julianne Moore – Maps To The Stars
Best Actor – Timothy Spall – Mr Turner
Camera d’Or – Party Girl – dirs: Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger, Samuel Theis
Short Film – Leidi – dir: Simón Mesa Soto
Special Mention –  Aïssa – dir: Clément Trehin-Lalanne / Ja Vi Elsker – dir: Hallvar Witzo

Poster from Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Turkish film – Winter Sleep (K?? Uykusu). Note: I can’t get the site to save the Turkish letters.

Poster from Alice Rohrwacher’s Italian film – The Wonders (La Miraviglie).

Timothy Spall in Mr Turner from English director Mike Leigh.

Julianne Moore in Maps To The Stars from Canadian director David Cronenberg.

American Bennett Miller (Capote 2005) won best director for Foxcatcher.

Bennet Miller’s Foxcatcher tells the story of convicted murderer and multimillionaire, John Eleuthère du Pont (I won’t tell you any more about the story of the film except he was mad when he did it!).  John Eleuthère du Pont was born into one of the richest families in the world. A keen philatelist, in 198o he paid nearly $1,000,000  for the world’s most famous stamp, the British Guiana 1856 1c magenta, only one is known to exist. Du Pont died in prison in 201o and Sotheby’s is about to auction his estate on June 17th 2014 – the stamp is expected to fetch $20,000,000

Read about it here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Guiana_1c_magenta