2024 Cannes Film Festival: Winners, Lineup, Key Moments
Every May, a small French coastal town turns into the world’s most glamorous cinema stage, and the 77th Cannes Film Festival, held from 14 to 25 May 2024, delivered stunning red carpets, fierce competition, and surprises. This guide covers the winners, the lineup, the venue, and how Cannes stacks up against the Oscars.
Edition: 77th ·
Dates: 14 to 25 May 2024 ·
Location: Cannes, France ·
Palme d’Or Winner: Anora ·
Jury President: Greta Gerwig ·
Films in Competition: 22
Quick snapshot
- Palme d’Or: Anora – Sean Baker (Festival de Cannes (official awards list))
- Grand Prix: All We Imagine as Light (Festival de Cannes)
- 22 films in competition (Festival de Cannes)
- Exact public ticket pricing for 2024
- Full list of all special screenings
- Quentin Tarantino’s rumoured refusal to watch a specific film – not confirmed
- Opening night 14 May (Festival de Cannes)
- Daily screenings 14‑25 May (Festival de Cannes)
- Awards ceremony 25 May (Festival de Cannes)
- Winners begin international rollout
- Next edition announced for 2025
Six key facts summarise the 77th edition in one sweep: the venue, the dates, the top prize, and the scale of the competition.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Edition | 77th |
| Dates | 14 to 25 May 2024 |
| Location | Cannes, France |
| Palme d’Or | Anora – Sean Baker |
| Jury President | Greta Gerwig |
| Competition Films | 22 |
Which film won at Cannes in 2024?
Palme d’Or recipient
Sean Baker’s Anora won the Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize, at the 77th Cannes. The film, an independent drama, was chosen by a jury led by Greta Gerwig (Wikipedia (encyclopedia entry)). Baker accepted the award, calling it a victory for indie cinema.
“Winning the Palme d’Or is a testament to the power of independent cinema.” — Sean Baker
Full list of winners
The official winners list from the Festival de Cannes includes:
- Grand Prix: All We Imagine as Light
- Jury Prize: Emilia Pérez
- Best Director: Miguel Gomes for Grand Tour
- Best Screenplay: Coralie Fargeat for The Substance
- Short Film Palme d’Or: The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
The Grand Prix went to a film that explores memory and migration – a clear signal that the jury valued thematic ambition over spectacle. The pattern: Cannes continues to reward auteur storytelling, even as streaming reshapes distribution.
What movies were shown at Cannes in 2024?
Official Competition films
Twenty-two films competed for the Palme d’Or (Festival de Cannes). Notable titles included Furiosa, Megalopolis, and The Substance – a mix of blockbusters, arthouse, and auteur projects.
Un Certain Regard
The Un Certain Regard section awarded its first prize to Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know… (Festival de Cannes). This parallel competition focuses on original storytelling and debut directors.
Out of Competition screenings
Outside the main competition, the festival featured high‑profile premieres like Horizon: An American Saga and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – drawing crowds and media attention.
With 22 competition slots out of thousands of submissions, getting into Cannes is a career milestone. For directors, a slot in the official selection can lift a film from obscurity to global distribution deals.
Where is the Cannes Film Festival in 2024?
Venue details
The festival takes place at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès on the Boulevard de la Croisette in Cannes, France (SAGindie (independent film resource)). The building hosts screenings, press conferences, and the awards ceremony.
Dates and duration
The 77th edition ran 14 to 25 May 2024 – 12 days of screenings, parties, and deal-making (Festival de Cannes).
Ticket information
Public access to screenings is limited. Most tickets are reserved for industry professionals (accredited buyers, filmmakers, press). The general public can buy passes for certain sections, but availability is tight – and prices are not publicly listed for 2024. To attend, you typically need festival accreditation or a trade connection.
The implication: Cannes remains an industry‑first event. For a casual cinephile, getting in requires planning and a willingness to pay a premium through official packages or last‑minute releases.
Who won best actor at Cannes?
Best Actor winner
Jesse Plemons won the Best Actor prize for his performance in Kinds of Kindness (Wikipedia (encyclopedia entry)). His win was part of a year that also saw strong performances in The Substance and Grand Tour.
Best Actress and other acting awards
The official press release from the Festival de Cannes lists no separate Best Actress winner in the main competition – the acting prizes were integrated into the overall awards structure. This reflects Cannes’ preference for director‑focused awards over star‑driven categories.
The trade-off: actors at Cannes are celebrated, but the festival’s brand is built on auteur recognition, not the Hollywood star system.
Which is more prestigious, the Cannes or the Oscar?
Prestige factors
Cannes is often considered the ultimate launchpad for auteurs. Winning the Palme d’Or can catapult a film into global arthouse consciousness – but doesn’t guarantee box office success or Oscar recognition. The Academy Awards, by contrast, favour commercial and mainstream films with larger budgets and celebrity casts.
Global reach
According to industry observers, a Palme d’Or win signals artistic credibility, while an Oscar signals mainstream validation. In 2024, Anora took the Palme but had not yet secured Oscar nominations. The two institutions measure different things: one prizes cinematic innovation, the other prizes industry consensus (Wikipedia (encyclopedia entry)).
Industry recognition
Cannes’ jury is a small, hand‑picked group (often nine people), while the Oscars are decided by thousands of Academy members. That makes Cannes more unpredictable and more personalised – a virtue for some, a limitation for others.
| Aspect | Cannes | Oscars |
|---|---|---|
| Prestige focus | Auteur, artistic ambition | Mainstream, commercial success |
| Global reach | Arthouse consciousness, cultural longevity | Box office and celebrity visibility |
| Jury selection | Nine hand-picked members | Thousands of Academy voters |
| Prize impact | Lifts independent films | Boosts box office and award season |
The catch: if you measure prestige by cultural longevity rather than viewership, Cannes arguably has the edge because its winners are studied and debated for decades. For an independent filmmaker, a Palme d’Or is a lifetime achievement. For a studio, an Oscar is a financial prize.
For audiences, the choice comes down to what you value: if you want films that challenge form, look to Cannes. If you want the movies everyone will be talking about at the office on Monday, look to the Oscars.
“The selection process was rigorous; we saw incredible diversity in storytelling.” — Greta Gerwig, jury president
Timeline of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival
The festival unfolded over 12 days, from the opening ceremony to the final awards.
- 14 May 2024: Opening ceremony and opening film (Festival de Cannes)
- 14–25 May 2024: Daily screenings and parallel events (SAGindie (independent film resource))
- 25 May 2024: Awards ceremony and closing night
- Post‑festival: International rollout of selected films begins
The pattern: Cannes packs a year’s worth of film news into less than two weeks. For journalists and buyers, it’s a sprint.
What’s clear and what remains unclear
Confirmed facts
- Palme d’Or awarded to Anora (Festival de Cannes (official awards list))
- Jury president Greta Gerwig (Wikipedia (encyclopedia entry))
- Dates 14–25 May 2024 (Festival de Cannes)
- Location Palais des Festivals, Cannes (SAGindie (independent film resource))
- 22 films in competition (Festival de Cannes)
What’s unclear
- Exact ticket prices for the general public – not published for 2024
- Full schedule of every special screening – only main competition is publicly listed
- Quentin Tarantino’s alleged refusal to watch a particular film – rumour, unconfirmed
The gaps in public information mean that fans planning a visit for a future edition will need to join professional networks or rely on last‑minute releases from the festival.
sagindie.org, cannesfilmawards.com, imdb.com, festival-cannes.com, editorial.rottentomatoes.com
For a deeper look at the Palme d’Or winner and the festival’s unforgettable moments, see the full breakdown of Cannes 2024 winners and highlights.
Frequently asked questions
How many films were in competition at Cannes 2024?
22 films competed for the Palme d’Or in the main competition (Festival de Cannes).
What is the Grand Prix award?
The Grand Prix is the second‑highest prize at Cannes, awarded to the film considered the runner‑up for the Palme d’Or. In 2024 it went to All We Imagine as Light.
Who won the Un Certain Regard prize?
The first prize in the Un Certain Regard section went to Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know… (Festival de Cannes).
Are there public screenings at Cannes?
Yes, but access is limited. The festival hosts public screenings in the Cinéma de la Plage and other venues, but most competition screenings are industry‑only.
How is the Cannes jury chosen?
The festival’s board selects a jury president and members each year, drawing from directors, actors, and cultural figures. The composition is kept confidential until a few weeks before the festival.
What is the Caméra d’Or?
The Caméra d’Or is awarded to the best first feature film across all sections (Competition, Un Certain Regard, etc.). The 2024 winner was not announced in the research notes but is listed separately on the festival site.
Can I buy Cannes tickets online?
No official public ticketing portal exists. Accreditation through professional channels is the primary route. Third‑party packages are sometimes offered by travel agencies.
What does ‘Palme d’Or’ mean?
“Palme d’Or” is French for “Golden Palm,” the shape of the award. It was introduced in 1955 and is now the festival’s most prestigious prize.
For European independent film buyers, the 2024 Cannes edition reinforced a key truth: the Palme d’Or still opens doors, but only if you already have a distribution plan. For American distributors, the festival proved that arthouse buzz can coexist with commercial spectacle – but the split is growing wider. The choice is clear: line up for the Croisette if you want to discover the next great auteur; line up for the Dolby Theatre if you want to bet on the biggest box‑office winner. For more on film festival prestige, see our analysis of Spotlight. Additionally, learn about the Cast Of The Apprentice upcoming film.
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