Cannes Darlings (In Progress)
Limited to 50 directors still alive and at least 1 entry into In Competition in the last 10 years.
Attempt at a ranking system:
1 points: Un Certain Regard Selection, Queer Palm Winner, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, François Chalais Prize
2 points: In Selection, Camera d'Or
4 points: Best Screenplay, Palme d'Or Short
5 points: Best Director, Un Certain Regard Winner
6 points: Jury Prize, FIPRESCI
8 points: Grand Prix
10 points: Palme d'Or
Attempt at a ranking system:
1 points: Un Certain Regard Selection, Queer Palm Winner, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, François Chalais Prize
2 points: In Selection, Camera d'Or
4 points: Best Screenplay, Palme d'Or Short
5 points: Best Director, Un Certain Regard Winner
6 points: Jury Prize, FIPRESCI
8 points: Grand Prix
10 points: Palme d'Or
List activity
40 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
63 people
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Unlike virtually all his contemporaries, Ken Loach has never succumbed to the siren call of Hollywood, and it's virtually impossible to imagine his particular brand of British socialist realism translating well to that context.
After studying law at St. Peter's College, Oxford, he branched out into the theater, performing with a touring repertory company. This led to television, where in alliance with producer Tony Garnett he produced a series of docudramas, most notably the devastating "Cathy Come Home" episode of The Wednesday Play (1964), whose impact was so massive that it led directly to a change in the homeless laws.
He made his feature debut Poor Cow (1967) the following year, and with Kes (1969), he produced what is now acclaimed as one of the finest films ever made in Britain. However, the following two decades saw his career in the doldrums with his films poorly distributed (despite the obvious quality of work such as The Gamekeeper (1968) and Looks and Smiles (1981)) and his TV work in some cases never broadcast (most notoriously, his documentaries on the 1984 miners' strike).
He made a spectacular comeback in the 1990s, with a series of award-winning films firmly establishing him in the pantheon of great European directors - his films have always been more popular in mainland Europe than in his native country or the US (where Riff-Raff (1991) was shown with subtitles because of the wide range of dialects). Hidden Agenda (1990) won the Special Jury Prize at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival; Riff-Raff (1991) won the Felix award for Best European Film of 1992; Raining Stones (1993) won the Cannes Special Jury Prize for 1993, and Land and Freedom (1995) won the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize and the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival - and was a substantial box-office hit in Spain where it sparked intense debate about its subject matter. This needless to say, was one of the reasons that Loach made the film!Sorry We Missed You (2019) - In Selection
I, Daniel Blake (2016) - Palme d'Or Winner + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention + Palm DogManitarian Award
Jimmy's Hall (2014) - In Selection
The Angels' Share (2012) - Jury Prize
Route Irish (2010) - In Selection
Looking for Eric (2009) - In Selection + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006) - Palme d'Or Winner
Sweet Sixteen (2002) - In Selection
Bread and Roses (2000) - In Selection
My Name Is Joe (1998) - In Selection
Land and Freedom (1995) - In Selection + FIPRESCI Prize + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Raining Stones (1993) - Jury Prize
Riff-Raff (1991) - FIPRESCI Prize
Hidden Agenda (1990) - Jury Prize + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention
Looks and Smiles (1981) - In Selection + Young Cinema Award + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention
Black Jack (1979) - FIPRESCI Prize
Points: 87- Writer
- Director
- Actor
A true master of his craft, Michael Haneke is one of the greatest film artists working today and one who challenges his viewers each year and work goes by, with films that reflect real portions of life in realistic, disturbing and unforgettable ways. One of the most genuine filmmakers of the world cinema, Haneke wrote and directed films in several languages: French, German and English, working with a great variety of actors, such as Juliette Binoche, Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Toby Jones, Ülrich Muhe, Arno Frisch and the list goes on.
This grand figure from Austrian cinema was born in Germany on 23 March 1942, from a German father and an Austrian mother, with both parents being from the artistic world working as actors, a career that Michael also tried but without much success. At the University of Vienna he studied drama, philosophy and psychology, and after graduation he went on to become a film critic and TV editor. His career behind camera started with After Liverpool (1974), which he wrote and directed. He went on to direct five more TV films and two episodes from the miniseries "Lemminge" (1979)_.
The years spent on television works prompted him to finally direct his first cinema feature, during his early 40's, which is somewhat unusual for film directors. But it was worth waiting. In The Seventh Continent (1989), Haneke establishes the foundation of what his future cinema would be about: a cinema that doesn't provides answers but one that dares to throw more and more questions, a cinema that reflects and analyses the human condition in its darkest and unexpected ways outside of any Hollywood formula. Films that exist to confront audiences and not comfort them. In it, Haneke deals with the duality of social values vs. internal values while exposing an apparent perfect family that runs into physical and material disintegration for reasons unknown. It was the first time a film of his was sent to the Cannes Film Festival (out of competition lineup) but he managed to cause some commotion in the audience with polemic scenes that were meant to extract all possible reactions from the crowd.
His next ventures at the decade's turn was in dealing with disturbed youth and the alienation they have in separating reality from fiction, trying to intersect both to drastic results. In Benny's Video (1992), it's the disturbing story of a teen boy who experiences killing for the first time capturing the murder on tape, impressed by the power of detachment that films and videos can cause to people; and later on the highly controversial Funny Games (1997), where two teens hold a family hostage to play sadistic games just for their own sick amusement. The film cemented Haneke's name as one of the greatest authors of his generation but sparkled a great debate with its themes of violence, sadism and the influence those things have in audiences. At the 1997's Cannes Film Festival, it was the film that had the most walk-out's by the audience. In between both films, he released 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (1994) and Kafka's The Castle (1997), the latter being one of the rare times when Haneke developed an adapted work.
In the 2000's, he strongly continued in producing more outstanding works prone to debate and reflection in what would become his most prolific decade with the following films: Code Unknown (2000), The Piano Teacher (2001), Time of the Wolf (2003), Caché (2005), an American remake shot-by shot of Funny Games (2007) and The White Ribbon (2009). His study about romance versus masochism in The Piano Teacher (2001) was an intense work, with powerful performances by Isabelle Huppert and Benoit Magimel, that the Cannes jury in the year were so impressed that Haneke managed to actually reverse their award rules where it was decided that film entries at the festival couldn't win more than one main award (the two lead actors won awards and Haneke got the Grand Prize of the Jury, just lost the Palme d'Or). With The White Ribbon (2009), an enigmatic black-and-white masterpiece following the inception of Nazism in this pre WWI and WWII story focusing on repressed children living in this small village where strange events happen all the time and without any possible reasoning, Haneke conquered the world and audiences with an artistic and daring work that won his first Palme d'Or a Golden Globe as Best Foreign Language Film and received an Oscar nomination for the same category plus the cinematography work of Christian Berger.
2012 was the year that marked his supremacy in the film world with the release of the bold and beautiful Amour (2012), a love story with powerful real drama and one where Haneke removed most of his usual dark characteristics to present more quiet and calm elements without losing input in creating controversy. The touching story of George and Anne provided one the greatest moments of that year and earned Haneke his second and consecutive Palme d'Or at Cannes and his first Oscar nominations for Best Direction and Best Original Screenplay - and it was one of the several nominees for Best Picture Oscar, winning as Best Foreign Language Film.
After abandoning a flash-mob film project, he returned to the screen with Happy End (2017), a film dealing with the refugee crisis in Europe and again he debuted his film at Cannes, receiving mildly positive reviews.
Besides his film work, Haneke also directs theatre productions, from drama to opera, from Così fan tutte to Don Giovanni.Happy End (2017) - In Selection
Amour (2012) - Palme d'Or
The White Ribbon (2009) - Palme d'Or + FIPRESCI Prize + Cinema Prize of the French National Education System + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention
Caché (2005) - Best Director + FIPRESCI Prize +Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
The Piano Teacher (2001) - Winner
Grand Prize of the Jury
Code Unknown (2000) - In Selection + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Funny Games (1997) - In Selection
Points: 53- Producer
- Director
- Writer
After studying drama in the arts institute, Jean Pierre Dardenne and his brother Luc made some videos about the rough life in blue-collar small towns in the Wallonie. After their meeting with filmmaker Armad Gatti and cinematographer Ned Burgess, they decided to enter in the movie business.
In 1978 they shot their first documentary, Le chant du rossignol, about the resistance against the Nazis during the second world war in Belgium. In 1986 they shot their first fiction movie, Falsch, about a Jewish family massacred by the Nazis. After their second movie, Je pense a vous, they released La Promesse, a movie about inmigration in Belgium. The film was a success worldwide winning awards in many festivals.
In 1999 they had another hit with Rosetta, that won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Festival. The movie tells the story of a blue collar worker with an alcoholic mother who tries to have a better life in a small belgium city.
In 2002, they came back to Cannes with their last movie, Le Fils, that won the ecumenical jury prize and the award for best actor for Olivier Gourmet.And Luc Dardenne
Tori and Lokita (2022) - In Selection + 75th Anniversary Prize
Young Ahmed (2019) - Best Director
The Unknown Girl (2016) - In Selection
Two Days, One Night (2014) - In Selection + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Award
The Kid with a Bike (2011) - Grand Prize of the Jury
Lorna's Silence (2008) - Best Screenplay
The Child (2005) - Palme d'Or
The Son (2002) - In Selection + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention
Rosetta (1999) - Palme d'Or + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention
Points: 47- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Nuri Bilge Ceylan was born in Istanbul on January 26th, 1959. In 1976, he began studying chemical engineering at Istanbul Technical University, in a context of strong student unrest, boycotts and political polarization. In 1978, he switched courses to Electrical Engineering at Bogazici University. There, he developed a strong interest in image, entering the photography club at the university. This is also where he fed his taste for visual arts and classical music, by means of the vast resources of the faculty librarians. He also began to take film classes and attend screenings at the Film Society, which reinforced his love of cinema, born years earlier in the dark rooms of the Istanbul Cinematheque. After his 1985 Graduation, he traveled to London and Kathmandu, which allowed him to take the opportunity to reflect upon his future. He returned to Turkey for his 18 months military service and at that moment decided to dedicate his life to cinema. Thereafter, he studied film at the University Mimar Sinan, and worked as a professional photographer to make a living. After 2 years, he decided to abandon his studies to practice. He started with acting, in a short film directed by his friend Mehmet Eryilmaz, while helping with the technical production process. In late 1993, he began shooting his first short film, Koza. The film was screened at Cannes in May 1995 and became the first Turkish short film to be selected for competition. Three full-length feature films followed -the "provincial trilogy": Kasaba (1997), Mayis Sikintisi (1999) and Uzak (2002). In all of these films, Ceylan took on just about every technical role himself: the cinematography, sound design, production, editing, writing and direction. Uzak won the Grand Prix and Best Actor (for the two main actors) in Cannes in 2003, making Ceylan an internationally recognized director. Continuing his tour of festivals after Cannes, Uzak won no less than 47 awards, including 23 international prizes, and thus became the most awarded film in the history of Turkish cinema. His subsequent films were all awarded at Cannes : Iklimler won the FIPRESCI Prize in 2006, Üç Maymun won Best Director in 2008 and Bir Zamanlar Anadolu'da won the Grand Prix in 2011. In 2014, his seventh feature film Kis Uykusu won the Palme d'Or as well as the FIPRESCI prize.The Wild Pear Tree (2018) - In Selection
Winter Sleep (2014) - Palme d'Or + FIPRESCI Winner
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011) - Grand Prize of the Jury
Three Monkeys (2008) - Best Director
Climates (2006) - In Competition + FIPRESCI Winner
Distant (2002) - Grand Prize of the Jury
Cocoon (1995) - Short Film Competition
Points: 47- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Nanni Moretti was born on the 19th of August, 1953. He lives in Rome, where since he was a kid he devotes himself to his two passions: cinema and water-polo. In 1970 he also played in water-polo first division in Italy, and in the junior National team. In those years he was also very committed in politics, within the youth league of the Italian Communist Party. Once finished high school studies, he sold his stamps collection to buy a super8 cinema camera, using which he started shooting home-made short films with his friends in 1973. His professional movie-making career starts with Ecce bombo (1978). This was also his first nation-wide success, and still a cult-movie for many Italians.Three Floors (2021) - In Competition
Mia madre (2015) - In Competition + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
We Have a Pope (2011) - In Competition
The Caiman (2006) - In Competition + Award of the City of Rome
The Son's Room (2001) - Palme d'Or + FIPRESCI Prize
Aprile (1998) - In Competition
Dear Diary (1993) - Best Director
Ecce bombo (1978) - In Competition
Points: 34- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Born in Egypt to Armenian parents, he was raised in Western Canada. Both his parents were painters, and he planned to be a playwright, but after making a short film, he became hooked on telling stories visually. Returned to ethnic "homeland" when he filmed Calendar (1993) in Armenia. Won attention at the Sundance Film Festival for earlier work, then broke through critically and commercially with Exotica (1994). Afterwards, The Sweet Hereafter (1997) led him to receive two Academy Award nominations, and then Chloe (2009) became his biggest moneymaker ever (after the film's DVD/Blu-ray release).The Captive (2014) - In Selection
Adoration (2008) - In Selection + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Where the Truth Lies (2005) - In Selection
Felicia's Journey (1999) - In Selection
The Sweet Hereafter (1997) - Grand Prize of the Jury + FIPRESCI Prize + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Exotica (1994) - In Selection + FIPRESCI Prize
Points: 33- Director
- Writer
- Editor
Born in Tokyo in 1962. Originally intended to be a novelist, but after graduating from Waseda University in 1987 went on to become an assistant director at T.V. Man Union. Snuck off set to film Mou hitotsu no kyouiku - Ina shogakkou haru gumi no kiroku (1991). His first feature, Maborosi (1995), based on a Teru Miyamoto novel and drawn from his own experiences while filming August Without Him (1994), won jury prizes at Venice and Chicago. The main themes of his oeuvre include memory, loss, death and the intersection of documentary and fictive narratives.Broker (2022) - In Competition + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Shoplifters (2018) - Palme d'Or Winner
After the Storm (2016) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Our Little Sister (2015) - In Competition
Like Father, Like Son (2013) - Jury Prize + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (Special Mention)
Air Doll (2009) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Nobody Knows (2004) - In Competition
Distance (2001) - In Competition
Points: 29- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Moved to New York City at the age of seventeen from Akron, Ohio. Graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in English, class of '75. Without any prior film experience, he was accepted into the Tisch School of the Arts, New York.The Dead Don't Die (2019) - In Selection
Paterson (2016) - In Selection
Gimme Danger (2016) - Golden Eye Selection
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) - In Selection
Broken Flowers (2005) - Grand Prize of the Jury
Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet (2002) (Segment) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) - In Selection
Dead Man (1995) - In Selection
Coffee and Cigarettes III (1993) - Palme d'Or Short
Mystery Train (1989) - In Selection + Best Artistic Contribution
Down by Law (1986) - In Selection
Stranger Than Paradise (1984) - Camera d'Or
Points: 29- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Cristian Mungiu was born on 27 April 1968 in Iasi, Romania. He is a producer and writer, known for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007), Graduation (2016) and Beyond the Hills (2012).R.M.N. (2022) - In Selection
Graduation (2016) - Best Director
Beyond the Hills (2012) - Best Screenplay
Tales from the Golden Age (2009) (Segment) - Un Certain Regard Selection
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007) - Palme d'Or + FIPRESCI + French National Educational System Prize
Occident (2002) C.I.C.A.E Selection
Points: 28- Director
- Editor
- Writer
Apichatpong Weerasethakul (b. 1970, Bangkok) grew up in Khon Kaen, a city in the north east of Thailand. He has a degree in Architecture from Khon Kaen University and a Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has been making films and videos since the early 90s. He is one of the few filmmakers in Thailand who have worked outside the strict Thai studio system. In his films, he experiments with certain elements found in the dramatic plot structure of Thai television and radio programs, comics and old films. He finds his inspiration in small towns around the country. In his work, he often uses non-professional actors and improvised dialogue in exploring the shifting boundaries between documentary and fiction.
In 2000, he completed his first feature, Mysterious Object at Noon (2000), a documentary that has been screened at many international festivals and received enthusiastic reviews and awards as well as being listed among the best films of the year 2000 by Film Comment and the Village Voice. He is active in promoting experimental and independent films through Kick the Machine, the company he founded in 1999. He is currently working on several video projects and a new feature, Tropical Malady.Memoria (2021) - Jury Prize
The Year of the Everlasting Storm (2021) (Segment) - Golden Eye Selection
Cemetery of Splendor (2015) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) - Palme d'Or
State of the World (2007) - C.I.C.A.E. Selection
Tropical Malady (2004) - Jury Prize
Blissfully Yours (2002) - Un Certain Regard Winner
Points: 28- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Born in Paris, France, in 1952. Jacques Audiard's family has always been involved in movie business. His father, Michel, was a popular screenwriter and director and his uncle a producer. But in his teens he refused that world and wanted to be a teacher. He studied literature and philosophy at the Sorbonne but didn't finish his degree. By that time, his then girlfriend suggested he work as a trainee editor during his university holidays. He worked as an assistant editor on several movies like "Le locataire" (1976) directed by Roman Polanski.
He also joined a theater where he did all kinds of work. He specially enjoyed adapting works for stage. In the eighties he wrote the screenplays of some successful movies like "Mortelle Randonnee" (1983), "Reveillon Chez Bob" (1984), "Saxo" (1987), "Frequence meurtre" (1988) and "Grosse fatigue" (1994). Most of those films were thrillers directed by prestigious filmmakers like Claude Miller and Michel Blanc. He also directed some well received short movies.
Thanks to the success of those movies he was able, in 1994, to raise up the money to make his first movie "Regarde les hommes tomber" a somber road movie starred by two of the most important French actors: Mathieu Kassovitz and Jean Louis Trintignant. That movie won 3 Cesars of the French academy for best editing, best new director (Jacques Audiard) and best new actor (for Kassovitz).
Kassovitz also became the star of his second movie "Un heros tres discret" released in the Festival de Cannes in 1996 where it won the award for best screenplay. "Un heros tres discret" undermined the myth of the French resistance to the Nazis by telling the story of a young impostor who rises high in French society after World war by concocting a past for himself as a hero. It also won awards in the festivals of Stockholm and Valladolid and made his name internationally.
In 2001 he made his third movie "Sur mes levres". The love story between two outsiders (a deaf office worker and a hoodlum) who decide to con a group of gangsters also became a success. It also won three Cesars (best actress, sound and screenplay).
His last movie, "De battre mon Coeur sest arrête" (a remake of "Fingers" a James Toback's movie) was released in the Berlin festival of 2005.
With those movies, Audiard has become the new master of the "polar" (French thriller) and inheritor of others great French directors like Jean-Pierre Melville (1917-1973) and Henri Georges-Clouzot (1907-1977).Paris, 13th District (2021) - In Competition + Queer Palm Selection
Dheepan (2015) - Palme d'Or
Rust and Bone (2012) - In Competition
A Prophet (2009) - Grand Prize of the Jury
A Self-Made Hero (1996) - Best Screenplay
See How They Fall (1994) - Golden Camera Selection
Points: 26- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Born in Lódz, Poland, in 1938. Director, playwright, scriptwriter, and actor. Graduated in ethnology, literature and history from Warsaw University in 1959. Graduated from Lódz Film Academy in directing in 1962. Feature debut: _Identification Marks - None_ (Rysopis, 1964, scr., dir, act.), awarded in Warsaw 1964 and Arnhem 1965. Other films: _Walkover_ (Walkower, 1965, scr., act.), awarded in Mannheim; _The Barrier_ (Bariera, 1966, scr.), awarded in Bergamo 1966 and Valladolid 1968; _Le Depart_ (1967, scr., belg. prod.), Grand Prix in Wets Berlin); _Dialogue 20-40-60_ (Dialog 20-40-60, 1968, scr. - Polish part of "The Twenty Years Olds", czech. prod.); _Hands Up!_ (Rece do gory!, 1967)EO (2022) - Jury Prize
Cztery noce z Anna (2008) - C.I.C.A.E. Award Nominee
Torrents of Spring (1989) - In Competition
Success Is the Best Revenge (1984) - In Competition
Moonlighting (1982) - Best Screenplay
The Shout (1978) - Grand Prize of the Jury
King, Queen, Knave (1972) - In Competition
Points: 24- Director
- Producer
- Actor
Gus Green Van Sant Jr. is an American filmmaker, painter, screenwriter, photographer and musician from Louisville, Kentucky who is known for directing films such as Good Will Hunting, the 1998 remake of Psycho, Gerry, Elephant, My Own Private Idaho, To Die For, Milk, Last Days, Finding Forrester, Promised Land, Drugstore Cowboy and Mala Noche.The Sea of Trees (2015) - In Selection
Restless (2011) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Paranoid Park (2007) - In Selection + 60th Anniversary Prize
Paris, I Love You (2006) (Segment) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Last Days (2005) - In Selection
Elephant (2003) - Palme d'Or + Best Direcor
Points: 23- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Elia Suleiman was born on 28 July 1960 in Nazareth, Israel. He is a director and writer, known for Divine Intervention (2002), It Must Be Heaven (2019) and The Time That Remains (2009). He is married to Yasmine Hamdan.It Must Be Heaven (2019) - In Competition + FIPRESCI Prize
7 Days in Havana (2011) (Segment) - Un Certain Regard
The Time That Remains (2009) - In Competition
Divine Intervention (2002) - Jury Prize + FIPRESCI Prize
Points: 23- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Of the ten films that Hsiao-Hsien Hou directed between 1980 and 1989, seven received best film or best director awards from prestigious international films festivals in Venice, Berlin, Hawaii, and the Festival of the Three Continents in Nantes. In a 1988 worldwide critics' poll, Hou was championed as "one of the three directors most crucial to the future of cinema."
Hou's birthplace, a county in Kuangtung Province, had been well-known as an intellectual center in China. In 1948, his family moved to Taiwan and, like all children raised there, he went through an extremely demanding educational system. In 1969, he studied film at the National Taiwan Arts Academy. After graduation in 1972, he worked briefly as a salesman. Later he began his film career as a scriptwriter and assistant director.
Hou's films are often concerned with his experiences of growing up in rural Taiwan in the 1950s and 1960s. The 1950s marked a time in which refugee families from the mainland were struggling painfully for survival, while the 1960s saw the beginning of the most significant social change in modern Taiwan. The economic boom of that period meant the beginning of Western-style industrialization and urbanization. The normal frustrations of growing up were aggravated by these complicated changes, and Hou's films are intimate expressions of those experiences.
His emotionally charged work is replete with highly nostalgic images and beautiful compositions; their power lies in his total identification with the past and the fate of families who suffered through difficult times. His stories, often written in collaboration with scriptwriters T'ien-wen Chu and Nien-Jen Wu, depict the complex intertwining of the different strands that shape the lives of individuals. In a poetic yet relaxed style, they reflect a deep sympathy and a profound humanism.The Assassin (2015) - Best Director
Flight of the Red Balloon (2007) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Three Times (2005) - In Competition
Millennium Mambo (2001) - In Competition
Flowers of Shanghai (1998) - In Competition
Goodbye South, Goodbye (1996) - In Competition
Good Men, Good Women (1995) - In Competition
The Puppetmaster (1993) - Jury Prize
Points: 22- Director
- Editor
- Writer
Ruben Östlund was born on 13 April 1974 in Styrsö, Västra Götalands län, Sweden. He is a director and editor, known for Triangle of Sadness (2022), Force Majeure (2014) and The Square (2017). He was previously married to Andrea Östlund.Triangle of Sadness (2022) - Palme d'Or Winner
The Square (2017) - Palme d'Or Winner
Force Majeure (2014) - Un Certain Regard Jury Prize
Play (2011) - C.I.C.A.E. Award Nominee + Séance "Coup de coeur" Winner
Involuntary (2008) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Points: 22- Writer
- Director
- Editor
Bruno Dumont was born on 14 March 1958 in Bailleul, Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France. He is a writer and director, known for Li'l Quinquin (2014), The Life of Jesus (1997) and Camille Claudel 1915 (2013).France (2021) - In Selection
Joan of Arc (2019) - Un Certain Regard Award Special Mention
Slack Bay (2016) - In Selection + Cannes Soundtrack Award
Outside Satan (2011) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Flanders (2006) - Grand Prize of the Jury
Humanity (1999) - Grand Prize of the Jury
The Life of Jesus (1997) - Golden Camera Special Mention
Points: 22- Producer
- Director
- Cinematographer
Steven Andrew Soderbergh was born on January 14, 1963 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, the second of six children of Mary Ann (Bernard) and Peter Soderbergh. His father was of Swedish and Irish descent, and his mother was of Italian ancestry. While he was still at a very young age, his family moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where his father was a professor and the dean of the College of Education at Louisiana State University. While still in high school, around the age of 15, Soderbergh enrolled in the university's film animation class and began making short 16-millimeter films with second-hand equipment, one of which was the short film "Janitor". After graduating high school, he went to Hollywood, where he worked as a freelance editor. His time there was brief and, shortly after, he returned home and continued making short films and writing scripts.
His first major break was in 1986 when the rock group Yes assigned him to shoot a full-length concert film for the band, which eventually earned him a Grammy nomination for the video, Yes: 9012 Live (1985). Following this achievement, Soderbergh filmed Winston (1987), the short-subject film that he would later expand into Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989), a film that earned him the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or Award, the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director, and an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Over the next six years, he was married to actress Betsy Brantley and had a daughter named Sarah Soderbergh, who was born in 1990.
Also during this time, he made such films as Kafka (1991), King of the Hill (1993), The Underneath (1995) and Gray's Anatomy (1996), which many believed to be disappointments. In 1998, Soderbergh made Out of Sight (1998), his most critically and commercially successful film since Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989). Then, in 2000, Soderbergh directed two major motion pictures that are now his most successful films to date: Erin Brockovich (2000) and Traffic (2000). These films were both nominated for Best Picture Oscars at the 2001 Academy Awards and gave him the first twin director Oscar nomination in almost 60 years and the first ever win. He won the Oscar for Best Director for Traffic (2000) at the 2001 Oscars.Behind the Candelabra (2013) - In Selection + Queer Palm Selection
Che: Part One (2008) + Che: Part Two (2008) - In Selection
King of the Hill (1993) - In Selection
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989) - Palme d'Or + FIPRESCI Prize
Points: 22- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Park Chan-wook was born on 23 August 1963 in Seoul, South Korea. He is a producer and writer, known for Oldboy (2003), The Handmaiden (2016) and Decision to Leave (2022). He is married to Eun-hee Kim. They have one child.Decision to Leave (2022) - Best Director
The Handmaiden (2016) - In Competition + Queer Palm Selection
Thirst (2009) - Jury Prize
Oldboy (2003) - Grand Prize of the Jury
Points: 21- Director
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Mike Leigh is an English film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and further at the Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design and the London School of Film Technique. He began his career as a theatre director and playwright in the mid-1960s, before transitioning to making televised plays and films for BBC Television in the 1970s and '80s. Leigh is known for his lengthy rehearsal and improvisation techniques with actors to build characters and narrative for his films. His purpose is to capture reality and present "emotional, subjective, intuitive, instinctive, vulnerable films." His films and stage plays, according to critic Michael Coveney, "comprise a distinctive, homogenous body of work which stands comparison with anyone's in the British theatre and cinema over the same period."
Leigh's most notable works include the black comedy-drama Naked (1993), for which he won the Best Director Award at Cannes, the Oscar-nominated, BAFTA- and Palme d'Or-winning drama Secrets & Lies (1996), the Golden Lion-winning working-class drama Vera Drake (2004), and the Palme d'Or-nominated biopic Mr. Turner (2014). Other well-known films include the comedy-dramas Life Is Sweet (1990) Meantime (1983) and Career Girls (1997), the Gilbert and Sullivan biographical film Topsy-Turvy (1999) and the bleak working-class drama All or Nothing (2002). He won great success with American audiences with the female led films, Vera Drake (2004) starring Imelda Staunton, Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) with Sally Hawkins, the family drama Another Year (2010), and the historical drama Peterloo (2018). His stage plays include Smelling A Rat, It's A Great Big Shame, Greek Tragedy, Goose-Pimples, Ecstasy and Abigail's Party.
Leigh has helped to create stars - Liz Smith in Hard Labour, Alison Steadman in Abigail's Party, Brenda Blethyn in Grown-Ups, Antony Sher in Goose-Pimples, Gary Oldman and Tim Roth in Meantime, Jane Horrocks in Life is Sweet, David Thewlis in Naked - and remarked that the list of actors who have worked with him over the years - including Paul Jesson, Phil Daniels, Lindsay Duncan, Lesley Sharp, Kathy Burke, Stephen Rea, Julie Walters - "comprises an impressive, almost representative, nucleus of outstanding British acting talent." His aesthetic has been compared to the sensibility of the Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu and the Italian Federico Fellini. Ian Buruma, writing in The New York Review of Books in January 1994, commented: "It is hard to get on a London bus or listen to the people at the next table in a cafeteria without thinking of Mike Leigh. Like other original artists, he has staked out his own territory. Leigh's London is as distinctive as Fellini's Rome or Ozu's Tokyo."
Leigh was born to Phyllis Pauline (née Cousin) and Alfred Abraham Leigh, a doctor. Leigh was born at Brocket Hall in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, which was at that time a maternity home. His mother, in her confinement, went to stay with her parents in Hertfordshire for comfort and support while her husband was serving as a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Leigh was brought up in the Broughton area of Salford, Lancashire. He attended North Grecian Street Junior School. He is from a Jewish family; his paternal grandparents were Russian-Jewish immigrants who settled in Manchester. The family name, originally Lieberman, had been anglicised in 1939 "for obvious reasons". When the war ended, Leigh's father began his career as a general practitioner in Higher Broughton, "the epicentre of Leigh's youngest years and the area memorialised in Hard Labour." Leigh went to Salford Grammar School, as did the director Les Blair, his friend, who produced Leigh's first feature film Bleak Moments (1971). There was a strong tradition of drama in the all-boys school, and an English master, Mr Nutter, supplied the library with newly published plays.
Outside school Leigh thrived in the Manchester branch of Labour Zionist youth movement Habonim. In the late 1950s he attended summer camps and winter activities over the Christmas break all-round the country. Throughout this time the most important part of his artistic consumption was cinema, although this was supplemented by his discovery of Picasso, Surrealism, The Goon Show, and even family visits to the Hallé Orchestra and the D'Oyly Carte. His father, however, was deeply opposed to the idea that Leigh might become an artist or an actor. He forbade him his frequent habit of sketching visitors who came to the house and regarded him as a problem child because of his creative interests. In 1960, "to his utter astonishment", he won a scholarship to RADA. Initially trained as an actor at RADA, Leigh started to hone his directing skills at East 15 Acting School where he met the actress, Alison Steadman.
Leigh responded negatively to RADA's agenda, found himself being taught how to "laugh, cry and snog" for weekly rep purposes and so became a sullen student. He later attended Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts (in 1963), the Central School of Art and Design and the London School of Film Technique on Charlotte Street. When he had arrived in London, one of the first films he had seen was Shadows (1959), an improvised film by John Cassavetes, in which a cast of unknowns was observed 'living, loving and bickering' on the streets of New York and Leigh had "felt it might be possible to create complete plays from scratch with a group of actors." Other influences from this time included Harold Pinter's The Caretaker-"Leigh was mesmerised by the play and the (Arts Theatre) production"- Samuel Beckett, whose novels he read avidly, and the writing of Flann O'Brien, whose "tragi-comedy" Leigh found particularly appealing. Influential and important productions he saw in this period included Beckett's Endgame, Peter Brook's King Lear and in 1965 Peter Weiss's Marat/Sade, a production developed through improvisations, the actors having based their characterisations on people they had visited in a mental hospital. The visual worlds of Ronald Searle, George Grosz, Picasso, and William Hogarth exerted another kind of influence. He played small roles in several British films in the early 1960s, (West 11, Two Left Feet) and played a young deaf-mute, interrogated by Rupert Davies, in the BBC Television series Maigret. In 1964-65, he collaborated with David Halliwell, and designed and directed the first production of Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs at the Unity Theatre.
Leigh has been described as "a gifted cartoonist ... a northerner who came south, slightly chippy, fiercely proud (and critical) of his roots and Jewish background; and he is a child of the 1960s and of the explosion of interest in the European cinema and the possibilities of television."
Leigh has cited Jean Renoir and Satyajit Ray among his favourite film makers. In addition to those two, in an interview recorded at the National Film Theatre at the BFI on 17 March 1991; Leigh also cited Frank Capra, Fritz Lang, Yasujiro Ozu and even Jean-Luc Godard, "...until the late 60s." When pressed for British influences, in that interview, he referred to the Ealing comedies "...despite their unconsciously patronizing way of portraying working-class people" and the early 60s British New Wave films. When asked for his favorite comedies, he replied, One, Two, Three, La règle du jeu and "any Keaton". The critic David Thomson has written that, with the camera work in his films characterised by 'a detached, medical watchfulness', Leigh's aesthetic may justly be compared to the sensibility of the Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu. Michael Coveney: "The cramped domestic interiors of Ozu find many echoes in Leigh's scenes on stairways and in corridors and on landings, especially in Grown-Ups, Meantime and Naked. And two wonderful little episodes in Ozu's Tokyo Story, in a hairdressing salon and a bar, must have been in Leigh's subconscious memory when he made The Short and Curlie's (1987), one of his most devastatingly funny pieces of work and the pub scene in Life is Sweet..."Mr. Turner (2014) - In Selection
Another Year (2010) - In Selection + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention
All or Nothing (2002) - In Selection
Secrets & Lies (1996) - Palme d'Or
Naked (1993) - Best Director
Points: 21- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Xavier Dolan was born on 20 March 1989 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is an actor and producer, known for I Killed My Mother (2009), Tom at the Farm (2013) and Heartbeats (2010).Matthias & Maxime (2019) - In Selection + Queer Palm Selection
It's Only the End of the World (2016) - Grand Prize of the Jury + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Mommy (2014) - Jury Prize + Queer Palm Selection
Laurence Anyways (2012) - Un Certain Regard Selection + Queer Palm Winner
Heartbeats (2010) - Un Certain Regard Selection + Regards Jeunes Prize
I Killed My Mother (2009) - C.I.C.A.E. Award Winner + SACD Prize + Regards Jeunes Prize
Points: 20- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Naomi Kawase was born on 30 May 1969 in Nara, Japan. She is a director and writer, known for Sweet Bean (2015), Still the Water (2014) and Suzaku (1997). She was previously married to Takenori Sentô.Official Film of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Side A (2022) - Golden Eye Selection
Radiance (2017) - In Selection + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Sweet Bean (2015) - Un Certain Regard
Still the Water (2014) - In Selection
Hanezu (2011) - In Selection
The Mourning Forest (2007) - Grand Jury Prize
Sharasôju (2003) - In Selection
Suzaku (1997) - Camera d'Or
Points: 20- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Matteo Garrone was born in Rome in 1968. He is the son of a theatre critic, Nico Garrone, and a photographer. In 1996 he won the Sacher d'Oro, an award sponsored by Nanni Moretti, with the short film Silhouette (1996), that became one of the three episodes of his first feature film Land in Between (1996). He won Best Director at the European Film Awards and at the David di Donatello Awards for Gomorrah (2008). His film Reality (2012) competed in competition at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and won the Grand Prix. His latest film Tale of Tales (2015) was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.Dogman (2018) - In Competition
Tale of Tales (2015) - In Competition
Reality (2012) - Grand Prize of the Jury
Gomorrah (2008) - Grand Prize of the Jury
The Embalmer (2002) - C.I.C.A.E Selection
Points: 20- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Terrence Malick was born in Ottawa, Illinois. His family subsequently lived in Oklahoma and he went to school in Austin, Texas. He did his undergraduate work at Harvard, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in philosophy in 1965.
A member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, he attended Magdalen College, Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship, but did not finish his thesis on Martin Heidegger, allegedly because of a disagreement with his advisor. Returning to the States, he taught philosophy at M.I.T. and published a translation of Heidegger's "Vom Wesen des Grundes" as "The Essence of Reasons". Malick did not get his PhD in philosophy: Instead, he attended the American Film Institute Conservatory in its inaugural year (1969), taking a Masters of Fine Arts degree in film-making. His masters thesis was the seventeen-minute comedy short Lanton Mills (1969), which starred Warren Oates and Harry Dean Stanton. Malick himself acted in the short.
At A.F.I., Malick made a lasting association with Jack Fisk, who would establish himself as an Oscar-nominated art director and production designer and serve as art director on all of Malick's films. He also picked up Mike Medavoy as an agent, who got Malick work doctoring scripts and marketed his original ones. He wrote the screenplay for the 1972 Alan Arkin trucker movie Deadhead Miles (1972), which was many miles from Harvard let along Oxford, and for the 1972 Paul Newman-Lee Marvin contemporary oater Pocket Money (1972), another departure from fields of academia. "Deadhead Miles" was dumped by Paramount as unreleasable and "Pocket Money", despite being headlined by two Top Ten Box Office stars, flopped. It was an inauspicious start to a legendary career, but it influenced Malick to begin directing his own scripts.
His first two films were the now critically acclaimed Badlands (1973) and Days of Heaven (1978). He then took a self-imposed retirement of nearly two decades from film-making before lensing his 1998 adaptation of James Jones's The Thin Red Line (1998), which was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including nods for Malick for directing and adapted screenplay.
Adopting a Kubrickian pace of movie-making, he directed The New World (2005) and the autobiographical The Tree of Life (2011) with gaps of only seven and six years, respectively, between release. However, he reportedly was working on ideas for "The Tree of Life" since the late 70s, including exposing footage that found its way into his finished film.
In an unprecedented burst of productivity, he shot his next four films, To the Wonder (2012), Knight of Cups (2015), an as-yet unnamed drama and the cosmic documentary Voyage of Time: Life's Journey (2016) back-to-back during and immediately after completing the long editing process of "Tree of Life". Like Stanley Kubrick, Malick usually takes well over a year to edit his films. All three are highly anticipated by cineastes the world over.A Hidden Life (2019) - In Selection + François Chalais Award Winner + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
The Tree of Life (2011) - Palme d'Or
Days of Heaven (1978) - Best Director
Points: 19- Writer
- Director
- Producer
The most internationally acclaimed Spanish filmmaker since Luis Buñuel was born in a small town (Calzada de Calatrava) in the impoverished Spanish region of La Mancha. He arrived in Madrid in 1968, and survived by selling used items in the flea-market called El Rastro. Almodóvar couldn't study filmmaking because he didn't have the money to afford it. Besides, the filmmaking schools were closed in early 70s by Franco's government. Instead, he found a job in the Spanish phone company and saved his salary to buy a Super 8 camera. From 1972 to 1978, he devoted himself to make short films with the help of of his friends. The "premieres" of those early films were famous in the rapidly growing world of the Spanish counter-culture. In few years, Almodóvar became a star of "La Movida", the pop cultural movement of late 70s Madrid. His first feature film, Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls Like Mom (1980), was made in 16 mm and blown-up to 35 mm for public release. In 1987, he and his brother Agustín Almodóvar established their own production company: El Deseo, S. A. The "Almodóvar phenomenon" has reached all over the world, making his films very popular in many countries.Pain and Glory (2019) - In Competition + Queer Palm Selection
Julieta (2016) - In Competition
The Skin I Live In (2011) - In Competition + Queer Palm Selection + Award of the Youth
Broken Embraces (2009) - In Competition
Volver (2006) - Best Screenplay
All About My Mother (1999) - Best Director + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Points: 18- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Kornél Mundruczó was born on 3 April 1975 in Gödöllõ, Hungary. He is an actor and director, known for Jupiter's Moon (2017), White God (2014) and Pieces of a Woman (2020). He is married to Kata Wéber.Jupiter's Moon (2017) - In Competition
White God (2014) - Un Certain Regard Winner
Tender Son: The Frankenstein Project (2010) - In Selection
Delta (2008) - In Selection + FIPRESCI Prize
Johanna (2005) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Little Apocrypha No. 2 (2004) - Cinefondation Selection
Points: 18- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Andrea Arnold was born on 5 April 1961 in Dartford, Kent, England, UK. She is an actress and director, known for American Honey (2016), Fish Tank (2009) and Red Road (2006).Cow (2021) - Golden Eye Selection
American Honey (2016) - Jury Prize
Fish Tank (2009) - Jury Prize
Red Road (2006) - Jury Prize
Points: 18- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Abdellatif Kechiche was born on 7 December 1960 in Tunis, Tunisia. He is a writer and director, known for Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013), Games of Love and Chance (2003) and Poetical Refugee (2000).Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo (2019) - In Selection
Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013) - Palme d'Or + FIPRESCI Prize + Queer Palm Selection
Points: 18- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Director and screenwriter Paolo Sorrentino was born in Naples in 1970, and and became an orphan when he lost both of his parents at the age of 16. At the age of 25, after studying for a few years at the Faculty of Economics and Business in University of Naples Federico II, he decided to work in the film industry. His first full-length feature L'uomo in più, starring Toni Servillo and Andrea Renzi, was selected at the 2001 Venice Film Festival, achieved three nominations for the David di Donatello (the Italian Academy Awards) and won the Nastro d'Argento (the Italian cinema journalists Academy Award) for Best First Time Director. In 2004 he directed Le conseguenze dell'amore, selected in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival and acclaimed by both Italian and International critics. The film won many important Italian awards, including five David di Donatello awards: for Best Film, Director, Screenplay, Actor and Cinematography. Three years later his third film L'amico di famiglia was also selected in Competition at Cannes. In 2008 another collaboration with Toni Servillo, Il Divo, became his third film to be selected in Competition at Cannes. The film was nominated for Best Make-Up at the Academy Awards® and won seven David di Donatello, five Ciak d'Oro and five Nastri d'Argento awards. He has also published a novel Hanno tutti ragione (Everybody's Right) in 2010, and two collections of short stories: Tony Pagoda e i suoi amici (2012), and Gli aspetti irrilevanti (2016). Hanno tutti region was warmly received by both critics and public and was short-listed for the Premio Strega, the most prestigious Italian literature award. As of 2021, seven of his 9 films have been presented in Competition at the Festival de Cannes, where Il Divo won the Prix du Jury in 2008. In 2014, his film La Grande Bellezza won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, as well as a BAFTA and five EFA Awards. In 2016, La Giovinezza gained an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song and two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song. The film won three European Film Awards. In 2016, he made his first TV Series: The Young Pope. In 2021, È stata la mano di Dio won the Grand Jury Prize at the 78th Venice International Film Festival.Youth (2015) - In Selection
The Great Beauty (2013) - In Selection
This Must Be the Place (2011) - In Selection + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Il Divo (2008) - Jury Prize
The Family Friend (2006) - In Selection
The Consequences of Love (2004) - In Selection
Points: 17- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Asghar Farhadi is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is considered one of the most prominent filmmakers of Iranian cinema as well as world cinema in the 21st century. His films have gained recognition for their focus on the human condition, and portrayals of intimate and challenging stories of internal family conflicts. In 2012, he was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. That same year, he also received the Legion of Honour from France.
Farhadi was born in Isfahan, Iran. At the age of 15, in 1987, he joined the Isfahan branch office of the Iranian Youth Cinema Society, which had been established for 4 years earlier and he made several short films. He is also a graduate of theatre, with a BA in dramatic arts and MA in stage direction from University of Tehran and Tarbiat Modares University, respectively.
While completing his studies, he wrote a number of radio plays for Iran's national broadcasting service and directed several television programs. In 2001 Farhadi co-wrote the screenplay for the political satire Ertefa-e past (Low Heights, 2002), with famed war film director, Ebrahim Hatamikia.
Farhadi's first feature film, Dancing in the Dust (2003), tells the story of a young man who is forced to divorce his wife and go hunting snakes in the desert in order to repay his debts to his in-laws. His next film, The Beautiful City (2004), is about a young man who is sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit.
Farhadi's breakthrough came with his third film, About Elly (2009), which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. The film tells the story of a group of friends who go on a weekend trip to the Caspian Sea, and the secrets that are revealed over the course of the weekend.
Farhadi's next film, A Separation (2011), won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film tells the story of a middle-class Iranian couple who are going through a divorce, and the moral dilemmas they face as they try to decide what is best for their young daughter.
Farhadi's subsequent films, The Past (2013) and The Salesman (2016), were also critically acclaimed. The Salesman won a second Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Farhadi's latest film, A Hero (2021), was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. The film tells the story of a man who is released from prison and tries to win back his wife's trust.
Farhadi's films are known for their their complex and suspenseful plots, their realistic characters, and their exploration of moral dilemmas. His films often deal with themes of family, relationships, and social class.
Farhadi is a master of creating suspense, and his films are often compared to those of Alfred Hitchcock. He is also a skilled director of actors, and his films have featured some of the most celebrated Iranian actors, including Shahab Hosseini, Leila Hatami, and Taraneh Alidoosti.
In 2022, Farhadi was accused of plagiarism by a former student, who claimed that he had stolen the idea for his film A Hero from a documentary she had made. Farhadi denied the allegations, and a court in Iran eventually ruled in his favor. However, the allegations have tarnished Farhadi's reputation and raised questions about his creative process.
Asghar Farhadi is one of the most important filmmakers of our time. His films are both entertaining and thought-provoking, and they offer a unique insight into Iranian society and culture. He is a true auteur, and his work is sure to be studied and admired for many years to come.A Hero (2021) - Grand Prix + François Chalais Award
Everybody Knows (2018) - In Competition
The Salesman (2016) - Best Screenplay
The Past (2013) - In Competition + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Points: 17- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Belgian film director and screenwriter. He was featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in 2019.
Dhont was born in Ghent, Belgium. His mother, Hilbe is a fashion teacher at an art school. He has a younger brother Michiel who is a producer. As a teenager, Dhont worked as a costume design assistant on film and television sets.
He made his feature-length debut in 2018 with Girl, a drama film inspired by the story of Nora Monsecour which focuses on a trans girl pursuing a career as a ballerina. Girl premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Caméra d'Or award for best first feature film, as well as the Queer Palm. It received the André Cavens Award for Best Film given by the Belgian Film Critics Association (UCC) and was selected as the Belgian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. It received nine nominations at the 9th Magritte Awards and won four, including Best Flemish Film and Best Screenplay for Dhont.
Dhont's second feature, Close, starring Emilie Dequenne and Léa Drucker, premiered in competition at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where he shared the Grand Prix with Claire Denis' Stars At Noon. It also won the Sydney Film Prize in June 2022. The film is based on his own experiences at school, and tells the story of the friendship between two boys in their early teens.
As of July 2021 Dhont is developing an untitled film with screenwriter Laurent Lunetta.Close (2022) - Grand Prize of the Festival + Queer Palm Selection
Girl (2018) - Un Certain Regard Selection + Queer Palm Winner + Camera d'Or + FIPRESCI Prize
Points: 17- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Hong Sang-soo was born on 25 October 1960 in Seoul, Korea. He is a director and writer, known for Right Now, Wrong Then (2015), Night and Day (2008) and The Woman Who Ran (2020).The Day After (2017) - In Selection
In Another Country (2012) - In Selection
The Day He Arrives (2011) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Hahaha (2010) - Un Certain Regard Winner
Like You Know It All (2009) - C.I.C.A.E. Selection
Tale of Cinema (2005) - In Selection
Woman Is the Future of Man (2004) - In Selection
Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors (2000) - Un Certain Regard Selection
The Power of Kangwon Province (1998) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Points: 16- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Quentin Jerome Tarantino was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. His father, Tony Tarantino, is an Italian-American actor and musician from New York, and his mother, Connie (McHugh), is a nurse from Tennessee. Quentin moved with his mother to Torrance, California, when he was four years old.
In January of 1992, first-time writer-director Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992) appeared at the Sundance Film Festival. The film garnered critical acclaim and the director became a legend immediately. Two years later, he followed up Dogs success with Pulp Fiction (1994) which premiered at the Cannes film festival, winning the coveted Palme D'Or Award. At the 1995 Academy Awards, it was nominated for the best picture, best director and best original screenplay. Tarantino and writing partner Roger Avary came away with the award only for best original screenplay. In 1995, Tarantino directed one fourth of the anthology Four Rooms (1995) with friends and fellow auteurs Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez and Allison Anders. The film opened December 25 in the United States to very weak reviews. Tarantino's next film was From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), a vampire/crime story which he wrote and co-starred with George Clooney. The film did fairly well theatrically.
Since then, Tarantino has helmed several critically and financially successful films, including Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), Inglourious Basterds (2009), Django Unchained (2012) and The Hateful Eight (2015).Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019) - In Competition
Inglourious Basterds (2009) - In Competition
Death Proof (2007) - In Competition
Pulp Fiction (1994) - Palme d'Or
Points: 16- Director
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Julia Ducournau is a French film director and screenwriter. She attended film school at La Fémis in Paris, where she studied screenwriting. In 2011, her short film JUNIOR won the Petit Rail d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. Her first feature, the horror movie Raw (2016), won the coveted FIPRESCI prize at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.Titane (2021) - Palme d'Or + Queer Palm Nominee
Raw (2016) - FIPRESCI Prize + Critics Week Selection + Queer Palm Selection
Junior (2011) - Small Golden Rail + Discovery Award Nominee
Points: 16- Writer
- Editor
- Director
Robin Campillo was born on 16 August 1962 in Mohammédia, Morocco. He is a writer and editor, known for Eastern Boys (2013), 120 BPM (2017) and The Class (2008).120 BPM (2017) - Grand Prize of the Jury + FIPRESCI Prize + Queer Palm Winner + François Chalais Award
Points: 16- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Arnaud Desplechin was born on 31 October 1960 in Roubaix, Nord, France. He is a director and writer, known for Kings & Queen (2004), The Sentinel (1992) and La vie des morts (1991).Brother and Sister (2022) - In Competition
Oh Mercy! (2019) - In Competition + Queer Palm Selection
My Golden Days (2015) - SACD Prize (Directors' Fortnight)
Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian (2013) - In Competition
A Christmas Tale (2008) - In Competition
En jouant 'Dans la compagnie des hommes' (2003) - Un Certain Regard
Esther Kahn (2000) - In Competition
My Sex Life... or How I Got Into an Argument (1996) - In Competition
The Sentinel (1992) - In Competition
Points: 15- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Marco Bellocchio is one of the most consistent and most adventurous of today's Italian directors-an achievement all the more remarkable given that he made his feature debut almost fifty years ago. Over those years, he has amassed a body of films that encompasses a large number of original screenplays, adaptations of the likes of Pirandello and Kleist and personal, quasi-autobiographical work. What unifies these films is the beauty and originality of Bellocchio's images and his unceasing quest to understand the place of the individual in contemporary Italy and contemporary cinema. After making a few shorts, Bellocchio announced himself with his ferocious first feature, the acclaimed Fists in the Pocket (1965). This caustic and anarchic look at an extremely troubled family launched him instantly to the first ranks of the Italian film scene, alongside Antonioni, Pasolini and Bertolucci. For the next several years, films such as China Is Near (1967) and In the Name of the Father (1971) found Bellocchio examining the turbulent world of leftist politics and revolutionary dreams with an eye both sympathetic and jaundiced. During the 1980s and 1990s, under the spell of unorthodox-and, to some, controversial-psychoanalyst Massimo Fagioli, Bellocchio's emphasis turned to examining the interweaving of family dynamics and sexual desire as they produce and undermine personal identities. Films such as A Leap in the Dark (1980) and Devil in the Flesh (1986) create complex allegories of an audacious originality. More recently, Bellocchio has turned to more straightforward narratives in a number of films that examine Italy's recent past and its present, from The Nanny (1999) to one of his most recent works, Dormant Beauty (2012). Shifting brilliantly from realist fiction to archival footage to the imagery of dream or fantasy, all within a single film, this recent period has returned Bellocchio to the forefront of contemporary cinema, while combining the lessons learned from both the previous political and allegorical work. What has remained constant is Bellocchio's searching critique of the institutions that control individuals and organize the flow of power: the army, political parties, schools, the state and its laws, the Church, and the family.Marx Can Wait (2021) - Golden Eye Selection + Honorary Palme d'Or
The Traitor (2019) - In Selection
The Fight (2018) - Illy Prize
Vincere (2009) - In Selection
The Wedding Director (2006) - Un Certain Regard Selection
My Mother's Smile (2002) - In Selection + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention
The Nanny (1999) - In Selection
The Prince of Homburg (1997) - In Selection
Henry IV (1984) - In Selection
A Leap in the Dark (1980) - In Selection
Points: 15- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Yorgos Lanthimos was born in Athens, Greece. He studied directing for Film and Television at the Stavrakos Film School in Athens. He has directed a number of dance videos in collaboration with Greek choreographers, in addition to TV commercials, music videos, short films and theater plays. Kinetta, his first feature film, played at Toronto and Berlin film festivals to critical acclaim. His second feature Dogtooth, won the "Un Certain Regard prize" at the 2009 Cannes film festival, followed by numerous awards at festivals worldwide. It was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award (Oscar) in 2011. Alps won the "Osella for best screenplay" at the 2011 Venice film festival and Best Film at the Sydney film festival in 2012. His first English language film The Lobster was presented in Competition at the 68th Cannes Film Festival. Moreover, "The Lobster" was nominated for the (Oscar about the) Best Original Screenplay by the Academy and won Best Screenplay and Best Costume Design at the European Film Awards of 2015. His fifth project "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" was also presented in Competition at the 70th Cannes Film Festival where it won the award for the best Screenplay. Lanthimos's last film "The Favorite" is a historical Drama about the British Queen Anne.The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) - Best Screenplay
The Lobster (2015) - Jury Prize + Queer Palm Special Mention
Dogtooth (2009) - Un Certain Regard Winner
Points: 15- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
László Nemes was born on 18th Feb. 1977 in Budapest, Hungary. He moved to France at 12 with his mother. He grew up in Paris, where he studied History, International Relations and Political Science at the Institut d'Études Politiques, because he couldn't go to film school. After that he started working as an assistant director on short films. With 26 he moved again to Budapest, Hungary and worked on short films there, where he met cinematographer Mátyás Erdély and sound designer Tamás Zányi. Together with them he finished his own 35mm short With a Little Patience (2007) in 2006. He subsequently studied from September 2006 on in a 'Film Directing' post-graduate program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He quit after less than a year, because he "did not like it", but met the poet Géza Röhrig during his time in New York. Frustrated with film school, he called director Béla Tarr: "I speak French and English, and I offered my services," said Nemes. He worked for two years as Tarr's assistant director, mostly on The Man from London (2007). In September 2007 his first short was presented at the Venice International Film Festival in competition and in Dec. 2008 it was nominated at the European Film Awards as 'Best Short Film'. Nemes shot his second short The Counterpart (2008) in Romania and after that The Gentleman Takes His Leave (2010) again in Hungary, finishing it in January 2010. The 3 short films have won more than 30 awards at more than 100 international film festivals. Nemes' first feature film project "S.K." was selected for the Résidence program which is overseen by the Cannes Cinéfondation. The resulting feature film Son of Saul (2015), with Géza Röhrig in the lead role, was surprisingly invited into the main competition and won the 'Grand Prix' at the 68th Cannes International Film Festival in 2015. Since then the film has become an international art house sensation and is Hungary's official submission for the 'Best Foreign Language Film' category at the 88th Academy Awards.- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Bong Joon-ho is a South Korean filmmaker. The recipient of three Academy Awards, his filmography is characterized by emphasis on social themes, genre-mixing, black humor, and sudden tone shifts. He first became known to audiences and achieved a cult following with his directorial debut film, the black comedy Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), before achieving both critical and commercial success with his subsequent films: the crime thriller Memories of Murder (2003), the monster film The Host (2006), the science fiction action film Snowpiercer (2013), and the black comedy thriller Parasite (2019), all of which are among the highest-grossing films in South Korea, with Parasite also being the highest-grossing South Korean film in history.
All of Bong's films have been South Korean productions, although both Snowpiercer and Okja (2017) are mostly in the English language. Two of his films have screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival-Okja in 2017 and Parasite in 2019; the latter earned the Palme d'Or, which was a first for a South Korean film. Parasite also became the first South Korean film to receive Academy Award nominations, with Bong winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, making Parasite the first film not in English to win Best Picture. In 2017, Bong was included on Metacritic's list of the 25 best film directors of the 21st century. In 2020, Bong was included in Time's annual list of 100 Most Influential People and Bloomberg 50.Parasite (2019) - Palme d'Or
Okja (2017) - In Competition
Mother (2009) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Tokyo! (2008) (Segment Shaking Tokyo) - Un Certain Regard Selection
The Host (2006) - C.I.C.A.E Award Selection
Points: 14- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Lee Chang-Dong was born in 1954 in Daegu, which some consider the most right-wing city in South Korea. Lee is a former high-school teacher and an acclaimed novelist. He turned to cinema when he was over 40 years old. His debut film "Green Fish" (1997) brought immediate success and critical acclaim. "Peppermint Candy" (2000), seemingly having the same 'lost innocence' theme as his former work, shoots fiery criticisms against the still-powerful remnants of the Korean military dictatorship regime. With "Oasis" (2002) Lee received countless awards, including the Special Director's Award at the Venice Film Festival. Since 2003, Lee worked as the Minister of Culture in the newly elected liberal national government.Burning (2018) - In Selection + FIPRESCI Prize
Poetry (2010) - Best Screenplay + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention
Secret Sunshine (2007) - In Selection
Peppermint Candy (1999) - C.I.C.A.E. Selection
Points: 14- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Olivier Assayas is a French film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is best know for his films Demonlover (2002), Something in the Air (2012), Clouds of Sils Maria (2014) and Personal Shopper (2016).
Assayas is the son of French director/screenwriter Raymond Assayas, alias Jacques Rémy.
His directorial debut was in the short film Copyright (1979).Irma Vep (2022) - Queer Palm Selection
Personal Shopper (2016) - Best Director
Clouds of Sils Maria (2014) - In Competition
Paris, I Love You (2006) (Segment) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Clean (2004) - In Selection
Demonlover (2002) - In Selection
Les Destinées (2000) - In Selection
Points: 14- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Roman Polanski is a Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few truly international filmmakers. Roman Polanski was born in Paris in 1933.
His parents returned to Poland from France in 1936, three years before World War II began. On Germany's invasion in 1939, as a family of mostly Jewish heritage, they were all sent to the Krakow ghetto. His parents were then captured and sent to two different concentration camps: His father to Mauthausen-Gusen in Austria, where he survived the war, and his mother to Auschwitz where she was murdered. Roman witnessed his father's capture and then, at only 7, managed to escape the ghetto and survive the war, at first wandering through the Polish countryside and pretending to be a Roman-Catholic kid visiting his relatives. Although this saved his life, he was severely mistreated suffering nearly fatal beating which left him with a fractured skull.
Local people usually ignored the cinemas where German films were shown, but Polanski seemed little concerned by the propaganda and often went to the movies. As the war progressed, Poland became increasingly war-torn and he lived his life as a tramp, hiding in barns and forests, eating whatever he could steal or find. Still under 12 years old, he encountered some Nazi soldiers who forced him to hold targets while they shot at them. At the war's end in 1945, he reunited with his father who sent him to a technical school, but young Polanski seemed to have already chosen another career. In the 1950s, he took up acting, appearing in Andrzej Wajda's A Generation (1955) before studying at the Lodz Film School. His early shorts such as Two Men and a Wardrobe (1958), Le gros et le maigre (1961) and Mammals (1962), showed his taste for black humor and interest in bizarre human relationships. His feature debut, Knife in the Water (1962), was one of the first Polish post-war films not associated with the war theme. It was also the first movie from Poland to get an Oscar nomination for best foreign film. Though already a major Polish filmmaker, Polanski chose to leave the country and headed to France. While down-and-out in Paris, he befriended young scriptwriter, Gérard Brach, who eventually became his long-time collaborator. The next two films, Repulsion (1965) and Cul-de-sac (1966), made in England and co-written by Brach, won respectively Silver and then Golden Bear awards at the Berlin International Film Festival. In 1968, Polanski went to Hollywood, where he made the psychological thriller, Rosemary's Baby (1968). However, after the brutal murder of his wife, Sharon Tate, by the Manson Family in 1969, the director decided to return to Europe. In 1974, he again made a US release - it was Chinatown (1974).
It seemed the beginning of a promising Hollywood career, but after his conviction for the sodomy of a 13-year old girl, Polanski fled from he USA to avoid prison. After Tess (1979), which was awarded several Oscars and Cesars, his works in 1980s and 1990s became intermittent and rarely approached the caliber of his earlier films. It wasn't until The Pianist (2002) that Polanski came back to full form. For that movie, he won nearly all the most important film awards, including the Oscar for Best Director, Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, the BAFTA and Cesar Award.
He still likes to act in the films of other directors, sometimes with interesting results, as in A Pure Formality (1994).The Ladykillers (2004) - In Selection
The Pianist (2002) - Palme d'Or
The Tenant (1976) - In Selection
Points: 14- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Juho Kuosmanen was born in 1979 in Kokkola, Finland. He is a director and writer, known for Compartment Number 6 (2021), The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki (2016) and The Painting Sellers (2010).Compartment Number 6 (2021) - Grand Prix + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention + Queer Palm Selection
The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki (2016) - Un Certain Regard Winner
The Painting Sellers (2010) - Cinefondation Award
Kestomerkitsijät (2007) - Cinefondation Selection
Points: 14- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Spike Lee was born Shelton Jackson Lee on March 20, 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia. At a very young age, he moved from pre-civil rights Georgia, to Brooklyn, New York. Lee came from artistic, education-grounded background; his father was a jazz musician, and his mother, a schoolteacher. He attended school in Morehouse College in Atlanta and developed his film making skills at Clark Atlanta University. After graduating from Morehouse, Lee attended the Tisch School of Arts graduate film program. He made a controversial short, The Answer (1980), a reworking of D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915), a ten-minute film. Lee went on to produce a 45-minute film Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983) which won a student Academy Award. In 1986, Spike Lee made the film, She's Gotta Have It (1986), a comedy about sexual relationships. The movie was made for $175,000, and earned $7 million at the box office, which launched his career and allowed him to found his own production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. His next movie was School Daze (1988), which was set at a historically black school, focused mostly on the conflict between the school and the Fraternities, of which he was a strong critic, portraying them as materialistic, irresponsible, and uncaring. With his School Daze (1988) profits, Lee went on to make his landmark film, Do the Right Thing (1989), a movie based specifically his own neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The movie portrayed the racial tensions that emerge in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood on one very hot day. The movie garnered Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay, for Danny Aiello for supporting actor, and sparked a debate on racial relations. Lee went on to produce and direct the jazz biopic Mo' Better Blues (1990), the first of many Spike Lee films to feature Denzel Washington, including the biography of Malcolm X (1992), in which Washington portrayed the civil rights leader. The movie was a success, and garnered an Oscar nomination for Washington. The pair would work together again on He Got Game (1998), an excursion into the collegiate world showing the darker side of college athletic recruiting, as well as the 2006 film Inside Man (2006). Spike Lee's role as a documentarian has expanded over the years, highlighted by his participation in Lumière and Company (1995), the Oscar-nominated 4 Little Girls (1997), to his Peabody Award-winning biographical adaptation of Black Panther leader in A Huey P. Newton Story (2001), through his 2005 Emmy Award-winning examination of post-Katrina New Orleans in When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006) and its follow-up five years later If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise (2010). Through his production company 40 Acres and A Mule Filmworks, Lee continues to create and direct both independent films and projects for major studios, as well as working on story development, creating an internship program for aspiring filmmakers, releasing music, and community outreach and support. He is married to Tonya Lewis Lee, and they have two sons, Satchel and Jackson.BlacKkKlansman (2018) - Grand Prize of the Jury + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention
Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet (2002) (Segment) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Summer of Sam (1999) - C.I.C.A.E. Selection
Jungle Fever (1991) - In Selection + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention
Do the Right Thing (1989) - In Selection
She's Gotta Have It (1986) - Award of the Youth
Points: 13- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Zhangke Jia was born on 24 May 1970 in Fenyang, Shanxi, China. He is a producer and director, known for Ash Is Purest White (2018), A Touch of Sin (2013) and Mountains May Depart (2015). He has been married to Tao Zhao since 7 January 2012.Ash Is Purest White (2018) - In Selection
Mountains May Depart (2015) - In Selection
A Touch of Sin (2013) - Best Screenplay
I Wish I Knew (2010) - Un Certain Regard Selection
24 City (2008) - In Selection
Unknown Pleasures (2002) - In Selection
Points: 13- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Sergei Loznitsa, Ukrainian film maker, was born on September, 5th 1964 in Baranovichi, USSR. He grew up in Kiev, and in 1987 graduated from the Kiev Polytechnic with a degree in Applied Mathematics. In 1987-1991 Sergei worked as a scientist at the Kiev Institute of Cybernetics, specializing in artificial intelligence research. He also worked as a translator from Japanese. In 1997 Loznitsa graduated from the Russian State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in Moscow, where he studied feature film making. Loznitsa has been making documentary films since 1996 and is the author of 21 documentaries, as well as 4 feature films. In 2013 Sergei Loznitsa launched a film production and distribution company ATOMS & VOID. Currently working in both documentary and feature genres.The Natural History of Destruction (2022) - Golden Eye Selection
Babi Yar. Context (2021) - Golden Eye Special Mention
Donbass (2018) - Un Certain Regard Directing Winner
A Gentle Creature (2017) - In Selection
In the Fog (2012) - In Selection + FIPRESCI
My Joy (2010) - In Selection
Points: 13- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Director and screenwriter Andrey Zvyagintsev is the winner of the Venice Film Festival (2003) and the Cannes Film Festival (2011, 2014, 2017). Two-time the Academy Awards and the BAFTA Awards nominee. Winner or the Golden Globe Awards (2015) for his film "Leviathan". In 2018, his latest work "Loveless" was awarded Best Foreign Film by the César Academy, France.
Born on the 6th of February in 1964 in Novosibirsk, Andrey Zvyagintsev attended the Novosibirsk Theatrical School, class of Lev Belov, before pursuing his studies in Moscow. In 1990, he graduated from the acting faculty of the Russian Institute of Theater Arts (GITIS), class of Evgeny Lazarev. In the following years Andrey gave several theatre, film and TV appearances as an actor.
In 2000, he debuted as a director. He made three short films for REN TV Channel's "The Black Room" series - "Bushido", "Obscure", "The Choice" - that was followed by his first full-length feature.
In 2003, "The Return", a debut not only for the director but also for the majority of the crew, played the main competition at the 60th Venice Film Festival and won its highest prize, the Golden Lion. Besides, Zvyagintsev was awarded the Lion of the Future for best debut, "a very delicate film about love, loss and growing". It captured the attention all over the world becoming one of the cinema sensations of the year.
His second film, "The Banishment", competed for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 and won Best Actor (Konstantin Lavronenko) - the first-ever for a Russian artist.
In 2011, Zvyagintsev's third film, "Elena", premiered at the 64th Cannes Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section.
His fourth film, "Leviathan", screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014 and won Best Screenplay (Andrey Zvyagintsev and Oleg Negin). In 2015, the film won the Golden Globe becoming the first Russian feature to win this award since 1969. The film got an Oscar nomination in the same category at the 87th Academy Awards.
Zvyagintsev's next film, "Loveless", won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards in 2018. "Loveless" was released in all major territories earning nominations for all acclaimed cinema awards worldwide including The Golden Globe Awards and BAFTA. It was awarded Best Foreign Film at France's César Awards, for the first time in history of both Soviet and Russian cinema.
In 2018, Andrey Zvyagintsev served on the Cannes Film Festival jury.Loveless (2017) - Jury Prize
Leviathan (2014) - Best Screenplay
Elena (2011) - Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize
The Banishment (2007) - In Selection
Points: 13- Producer
- Writer
- Director
The younger brother of Joel, Ethan Coen is an Academy Award and Golden Globe winning writer, producer and director coming from small independent films to big profile Hollywood films. He was born on September 21, 1957 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In some films of the brothers- Ethan & Joel wrote, Joel directed and Ethan produced - with both editing under the name of Roderick Jaynes; but in 2004 they started to share the three main duties plus editing. Each film bring its own quality, creativity, art and with one project more daring the other.
His film debut was in 1984 dark humored thriller Blood Simple (1984) starring Frances McDormand (Joel's wife) and M. Emmet Walsh in a deep story revolving a couple of romantic lovers followed by an insisting private eye. The film received critical acclaim, some award nominations to Ethan (best writing at the Film Independent Spirit Awards) and became a cult following over the years. Their second work was the comedy Raising Arizona (1987) starring Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter as a unusual couple trying to create their family by kidnapping babies from a rich family.
Miller's Crossing (1990) was the third film of the brothers, a mob drama with heavy influences from several criminal dramas and with a stellar cast that included Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, Albert Finney, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro and Jon Polito (the latter three would become regular actors in the Coen's films).
Their views on the Hollywood era of the 1930's was the central theme is the great Barton Fink (1991), created from a writers block both brothers suffered during the making of their previous film. John Turturro stars as a writer who suffers from a breakdown when he's commissioned to a big budget Hollywood project. The film was a breakthrough for the Coens marking their first win at the Cannes Film Festival (Joel got the Palme d'Or) and the first time a film of their received Oscar nominations. The underrated comedy The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) was what followed; but no one could predict their next big and boldest move that would definitely put Ethan and Joel on the spotlight once and for all.
The comedy of errors Fargo (1996) was a huge critical and commercial success. With its crazed story of a man who hires two loonies to kidnap his own wife and a pregnant policewoman tracking the leads to the crime, Ethan and Joel came at their greatest moment that couldn't be missed. The film received several awards during award season and the Coen's got their first Oscar in the Best Original Screenplay category. What came next was the underrated yet hilariously good The Big Lebowski (1998) starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, John Turturro and Steve Buscemi. Those masterpieces made their career in the late 1990's cementing the duo as one of the greatest writers and directors of their generation, if not, from all time.
The Odyssey retold for the 1930's in O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000); the intelligent noir The Man Who Wasn't There (2001); the comedy Intolerable Cruelty (2003) and a remake The Ladykillers (2004) marked their way into the early 2000's. Certaintly of period of minor hits and some downer moments.
The big return was with the highly acclaimed No Country for Old Men (2007), where the brothers swooped at the Oscars with three wins: Best Picture, Screenplay and Writing, an adaptation from the Cormac McCarthy's novel.
A Serious Man (2009), Burn After Reading (2008), True Grit (2010), Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), Hail, Caesar! (2016) and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) were the subsequent films, all well received by audiences or got awards recognition, mostly nominations.
A shift from tone and career move was writing with other writers and for another directors: for Angelina Jolie's Unbroken (2014), for Spielberg in Bridge of Spies (2015) and George Clooney in Suburbicon (2017).
As for personal life, Ethan has been married to Tricia Cooke since 1990. Tricia works as an assistant editor in several of the Coen brothers films.With Joel Coen
Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind (2022) - Golden Eye Selection
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) - Grand Prize of the Jury
No Country for Old Men (2007) - In Selection
Paris, I Love You (2006) (Segment) - Un Certain Regard Selection
The Ladykillers (2004) - In Competition
Points: 13- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Amat Escalante was born on 28 February 1979 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He is a director and producer, known for The Untamed (2016), Heli (2013) and The Bastards (2008).Heli (2013) - Best Director
The Bastards (2008) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Blood (2005) - Un Certain Regard Selection + FIPRESCI Prize
Points: 13- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Ryusuke Hamaguchi is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Hamaguchi, a graduate of Tokyo University and Tokyo University of Arts, attracted attention in his country with the movie Passion (2008), which he shot for his graduation.
Hamaguchi first gained international recognition with the film Happy Hour (2015) and followed it up with Asako I & II (2018).
He released two films in 2021, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy and Drive My Car, receiving three Academy Award nominations for the latter, including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best International Feature.
He is the third Japanese director to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Director.Drive My Car (2021) - Best Screenplay + FIPRESCI Prize + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Asako I & II (2018) - In Selection
Points: 13- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
The films of Claire Denis frequently explore the fragile connections between people and the ways in which the most seemingly inconsequential relationship can have life-changing effects. At the heart of Denis' cinema is a fascination with the delights and difficulties of belonging and otherness, the gravity and gift of foreignness. Often revolving around reactions to the intrusion of the other, be it a stranger or foreigner, Denis' films insist on the vital necessity of the unusual to coexist within the "normal" world. In films such as I Can't Sleep (1994) and Nénette and Boni (1996), Denis captures the mercurial and instant shifts in tone, from the pleasurably sensual to the menacing or the simply unaccountable, caused by the intrusion of the strange into the fabric of the everyday. In Denis' films one often feels that all is well even as worlds collide and collapse or, conversely, that a grave challenge underlies the seemingly calm moments. While Denis' childhood in French colonial Africa is reflected most directly in the African setting shared by her debut feature Chocolat (1988) and best-known film, Beau Travail (1999), this encounter with the intimacies and injustices of colonialism resounds throughout much of her work. Also shaping Denis' unique vision are the apprenticeships she served, just out of film school, under a variety of renowned directors, including Jacques Rivette, Wim Wenders, Dusan Makavejev and Jim Jarmusch - an eclectic company that is itself suggestive of the unique juxtaposition of careful craft and seeming casualness within Denis' work. Denis has often spoken of her shock as a young woman at discovering the novels of Faulkner that have exerted such a major influence over postwar French cinema. For Denis, Faulkner "was a plunge into the senses, into terror and the pain of his characters." These words describe Denis' films as well. But whatever terror and pain her characters may sometimes experience is outmeasured by the depths of Denis' deep affection for them and by her curiosity in their experiences of pleasure as well as fear. Even in the unsettling Trouble Every Day (2001), the not-infrequent catastrophes in Denis' films provoke a sense of wonder at, and even delight in, the sheer weight of existence.Stars at Noon (2022) - Grand Prize of the Festival
Let the Sunshine In (2017) - SACD Prize (Director's Fortnight)
Bastards (2013) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Chocolat (1988) - In Competition
Points: 11- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Corneliu Porumboiu was born on 14 September 1975 in Vaslui, Romania. He is a writer and director, known for 12:08 East of Bucharest (2006), The Whistlers (2019) and Police, Adjective (2009).The Whistlers (2019) - In Selection
The Treasure (2015) - Un Certain Regard Selection + A Certain Talent Prize
Police, Adjective (2009) - Un Certain Regard Jury Prize + FIPRESCI Prize
12:08 East of Bucharest (2006) - Camera d'Or + Label Europa Cinemas Winner + C.I.C.A.E. Award Selection +
Calatorie la oras (2003) - Cinefondation Selection
Points: 12- Writer
- Director
- Composer
Bertrand Bonello was born on 11 September 1968 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France. He is a writer and director, known for Nocturama (2016), House of Tolerance (2011) and The Beast (2023).Zombi Child (2019) - Queer Palm Selection
Saint Laurent (2014) - In Selection + Queer Palm Selection
House of Tolerance (2011) - In Selection
On War (2008) - C.I.C.A.E. Selection
Tiresia (2003) - In Selection
The Pornographer (2001) - FIPRESCI Prize
Points: 12- Actor
- Director
- Writer
David Cronenberg, also known as the King of Venereal Horror or the Baron of Blood, was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1943. His father, Milton Cronenberg, was a journalist and editor, and his mother, Esther (Sumberg), was a piano player. After showing an inclination for literature at an early age (he wrote and published eerie short stories, thus following his father's path) and for music (playing classical guitar until he was 12), Cronenberg graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Literature after switching from the science department. He reached the cult status of horror-meister with the gore-filled, modern-vampire variations of Shivers (1975) and Rabid (1977), following an experimental apprenticeship in independent film-making and in Canadian television programs.
Cronenberg gained popularity with the head-exploding, telepathy-based Scanners (1981) after the release of the much underrated, controversial, and autobiographical The Brood (1979). Cronenberg become a sort of a mass media guru with Videodrome (1983), a shocking investigation of the hazards of reality-morphing television and a prophetic critique of contemporary aesthetics. The issues of tech-induced mutation of the human body and topics of the prominent dichotomy between body and mind were back again in The Dead Zone (1983) and The Fly (1986), both bright examples of a personal film-making identity, even if both films are based on mass-entertainment materials: the first being a rendition of a Stephen King best-seller, the latter a remake of a famous American horror movie.
With Dead Ringers (1988) and Naked Lunch (1991), the Canadian director, no more a mere genre movie-maker but a fully realized auteur, got the acclaim of international critics. Such profound statements on modern humanity and ever-changing society are prominent in the provocative Crash (1996) and in the virtual reality essay of eXistenZ (1999), both of which well fared at the Cannes and Berlin Film Festivals. In the last two film projects Spider (2002) and A History of Violence (2005), Cronenberg avoids expressing his teratologic and oneiric expressionism in favor of a more psychological exploration of human contradictions and idiosyncrasies.Crimes of the Future (2022) - In Competition
Maps to the Stars (2014) - In Competition
Cosmopolis (2012) - In Competition
A History of Violence (2005) - In Competition
Spider (2002) - In Competition
Crash (1996) - Jury Special Prize
Points: 12- Director
- Writer
- Editor
Alice Rohrwacher was born on 29 December 1981 in Fiesole, Tuscany, Italy. She is a director and writer, known for Happy as Lazzaro (2018), La Chimera (2023) and The Wonders (2014).Futura (2021) - GoldenEye Selection
Happy as Lazzaro (2018) - Best Screenplay
The Wonders (2014) - Grand Prize of the Jury
Corpo Celeste (2011) - C.I.C.A.E. Selection
Points: 12- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Abderrahmane Sissako was born on 13 October 1961 in Kiffa, Mauritania. He is a director and writer, known for Timbuktu (2014), Life on Earth (1998) and Waiting for Happiness (2002).Timbuktu (2014) - In Selection + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury + François Chalais Award
Waiting for Happiness (2002) - Un Certain Regard Selection + FIPRESCI Prize + France Culture Award
Points: 11- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Leos Carax made several short films and also wrote film criticism, then at the age of 24 years made a very strong first feature Boy Meets Girl (1984). The film played at the 1984 Cannes film festival and was a critical triumph. It paved the way for Carax's second feature Bad Blood (1986) (Bad Blood). That film was a giant step forward in the same direction that he was going in with his first film. Both films were visually stunning and focused on young love and also alienation. With his reputation and talent at its peak, he set out to make what seemed it seemed like would be another triumph. The Lovers on the Bridge (1991) (The Lovers on the Bridge) was the result of three long years of very difficult production; Carax spent a fortune building some of the sets and filming some mind-blowing sequences. Unfortunately, neither critics nor audiences favored what was a truly grand vision of the themes he dealt with in his first two films. Carax went into an a 8 year long exile, but finally returned with Pola X (1999). It was a departure from his other films and another critical flop.Annette (2021) - Best Director
Holy Motors (2012) - In Competition + Award of the Youth
Tokyo! (2008) - Un Certain Regard Selection
Pola X (1999) - In Selection
Boy Meets Girl (1984) - Award of the Youth
Points: 10- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Mahamat-Saleh Haroun was born in 1961 in Abéché, Chad. He is a director and writer, known for Dry Season (2006), A Screaming Man (2010) and Our Father (2002).Lingui (2021) - In Competition
Hissein Habre, A Chadian Tragedy (2016) - Golden Eye
GriGris (2013) - In Competition
A Screaming Man (2010) - Jury Prize
Our Father (2002) - C.I.C.A.E. Selection
Points: 10- Director
- Producer
- Production Designer
Brillante Mendoza is a Philippine director and producer. He is the first Filipino to receive the Best Director award at Cannes for his film Kinatay in 2009. He is also the only Filipino to receive France's "Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres" (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) in 2014.
He was born on October 30, 1960, in San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines. He studied Advertising Arts at the University of Santo Tomas.
He worked in advertising, and became a production designer. He was in his forties when he directed his first film, Masahista, which won the 2005 Locarno International Film Festival's Golden Leopard (video competition). His films have received awards and nominations in major competitions in Venice, Berlin, Cannes, San Sebastian, Cairo and others.
His film Mindanao in 2019 received the Henry Barakat Best Artistic Contribution and Best Actress awards. In 2018 his film Alpha: The Right to Kill took home the Special Jury Prize in the San Sebastian International Film Festival. In 2016 Ma Rosa was nominated for Cannes' Palm d'Or, and won Best Actress for Jaclyn Jose, the first Filipina to bag it.
His film Taklub, which tackles climate change, was nominated for the Un Certain Regard, and won the Ecumenical Jury Prize in the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Captive, which stars Isabelle Huppert, competed for the Golden Bear at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival. Thy Womb, which was selected for the main competition in 2012 Venice Film Festival also took home the La Navicella, P. Nazareno Taddei and Bisato d'Oro awards; it also won the Best Director award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Lola, in 2009, was the Best Feature Film in Dubai International Film Festival, and was nominated for Venice's Golden Lion. In 2007 Tirador won Singapore International Film Festival's Best Director and Best Asian Feature Award; it also received the Caligari Film Award in Berlin. In 2007 Serbis was the first Philippine film to be nominated for Cannes' Palm d'Or. The same year his film Foster Child was screened at the Directors Fortnight in Cannes, which also bagged the NETPAC Jury award in Brisbane. Manoro in 2006 took home the Cinema for Peace award at the Torino Film Festival.
Mendoza's Amo is the first Philippine crime drama series shown on Netflix. His upcoming films are Resbak, and the Philippine-Japanese co-produced sports biopic Gensan Punch (2020). He produced successful festival films like Kintsugi (2020), Verdict (2019) Pailalim (2016), and Imbisibol (2015); he is also a producer of The Brokers, to be released soon.Ma' Rosa (2016) - In Competition
Trap (2015) - Un Certain Regard + Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention
Butchered (2009) - Best Director
Service (2008) - In Competition
Foster Child (2007) - C.I.C.A.E. Selection
Points: 10- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Writer/director James Gray made his first film Little Odessa (1994) at the age of twenty-five. The film, which starred Tim Roth, Edward Furlong, Vanessa Redgrave and Maximilian Schell, received critical acclaim and was the winner of the Venice Film Festival's prestigious Silver Lion Award in 1994.
Miramax Films released James Gray's second feature, The Yards (2000) starring Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Faye Dunaway, Ellen Burstyn, Charlize Theron and James Caan in fall of 2000. The film was selected for official competition at the 2000 Cannes International Film Festival. Prior to "The Yards" and "Little Odessa", Gray attended film school at the University of Southern California. It was there that his student film Cowboys and Angels was first seen by producer Paul Webster, who encouraged Gray to write his first feature script.
As a child growing up in Queens, New York, Gray aspired to be a painter. However, when introduced in his early teenage years to the works of various filmmakers, including Francis Ford Coppola, Gray's interests expanded to the art of filmmaking. The Yards returned Gray to Queens where the story takes place.Armageddon Time (2022) - In Competition
The Immigrant (2013) - In Competition
Two Lovers (2008) - In Competition
We Own the Night (2007) - In Competition
The Yards (2000) - In Competition
Points: 10- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Michel Franco was born on 28 August 1979 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. He is a producer and writer, known for New Order (2020), Chronic (2015) and After Lucia (2012).April's Daughter (2017) - Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize
Chronic (2015) - Best Screenplay
After Lucia (2012) - Un Certain Regard Winner
Daniel and Ana (2009) - C.I.C.A.E Selection
Points: 10- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Jeff Nichols was born on 7 December 1978 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Take Shelter (2011), Mud (2012) and Midnight Special (2016).Loving (2016) - In Competition
Mud (2012) - In Competition
Take Shelter (2011) - FIPRESCI Prize + SACD Award + Critics Week Grand Prize
Points: 10