24/05/2015 - CANNES 2015: France has pulled off a spectacular coup with the Palme d'Or for Jacques Audiard, the two acting prizes and three awards for co-productions

Emmanuelle Bercot, with her Best Actress Award

After having been somewhat criticised on account of what some judged to be its overly generous presence in competition at the 68th Cannes Film Festival, French cinema has taken its revenge in the list of award winners, particularly with the Palme d'Or (the 13^th to have been won by a French director) bestowed upon Dheepan [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Jacques Audiard
film profile] by Jacques Audiard (read the review). The filmmaker has therefore finally got the chance to clutch the Holy Grail after his two honourable mentions, in 1996 with A Self Made Hero (winner of the Best Screenplay Award) and in 2009 with A Prophet [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jacques Audiard
interview: Jacques Audiard and Tahar R…
film profile] (Grand Prix). Produced by Why Not, the film was co-produced by France 2 Cinéma and Page 114, pre-purchased by Canal+ and Ciné+, and backed by the Ile-de-France region. UGC will handle its release in French theatres on 26 August. Celluloid Dreams and Wild Bunch are both in charge of international sales.

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Emmanuelle Bercot has become the 16th Frenchwoman to take home the Best Actress Award in the history of the Cannes Film Festival for her performance in Mon roi [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Maïwenn (read the review). Produced by Les Productions du Trésor, Mon roi was co-produced by France 2 Cinéma and StudioCanal (which is set to bring it out in France on 21 October and is selling it abroad), with pre-purchases by Canal+ and Ciné+, and the support of the Ile-de-France region. It is interesting to note that Maïwenn’s films do not tend to leave the Cannes juries indifferent, as her first effort at such a level, Poliss [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maïwenn
film profile], earned her the Special Jury Prize in 2011. 

By receiving the Best Actor Award for his performance in The Measure of a Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stéphane Brizé
film profile] by Stéphane Brizé (read the review), Vincent Lindon has become the 16^th Frenchman to add his name to the list of Cannes winners in this category. This Nord-Ouest Films production was co-produced by Arte France Cinéma, pre-purchased by Canal+ and Ciné+, and backed by the Ile-de-France region. Diaphana brought it out in theatres on 20 May, while MK2 International is in charge of international sales.

French cinema also takes pride of place thanks to three of its co-productions, with the Jury Prize won by The Lobster [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Yorgos Lanthimos
film profile] by Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos (read the review – co-produced by Haut et Court together with Ireland, the UK, Greece and the Netherlands), the Best Screenplay Award handed to Chronic [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Mexico’s Michel Franco (co-produced by Vamonos Films and Stromboli Films – sold by Wild Bunch), and the Caméra d'Or that went to Land and Shade [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Colombian filmmaker César Augusto Acevedo (read the review), produced by Colombia with Ciné-Sud Promotion, among others, and sold abroad by Pyramide (which will distribute it in France in September).

Lastly, in terms of the sales agents, Films Distribution is basking in the limelight with the Grand Prix awarded to Son of Saul [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: László Nemes
interview: László Rajk
film profile] (read the review) by Hungarian director László Nemes, whereas Wild Bunch also has The Assassin by Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao Hsien, the winner of the Best Director Award, on its slate.

(Translated from French)