Cannes Film Festival

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

SPECIAL EDITION

There’s only one way to recap the most exciting film festival in the world…

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May 13 - 25, 2015 marked the 68th Annual Festival de Cannes in the beautiful Cannes, France on the cote d’Azur. This utopia-like city was buzzing as filmmakers, industry buffs, stars, fashionistas, and tourists all converged in this very city for the annual two week celebration. The major components of the festival consist of the following: La Compétition, Un Certain Regard, Les Films Hors Compétition, Les Séances Spéciales, Cannes Court Métrage, and La Sélection Cinéfondation. All of these are categories where films are either entered into competition or special entries (Hors Compétition and Les Séances Spéciales are not in competition).

But the festival isn’t just a place for films in competition. There are plenty of workshops, conferences, and networking to take advantage of. Le Marché Du Film is the world’s premier market boasting 12,000 participants, 4,000 films, and 1,500 screenings. Producers Network unites 500 producers within a program that facilitates networking between producers and encourages the funding of international projects. Le Village International is where all film-producing countries have the chance to showcase the uniqueness of their cinematography.

This gives them the chance to promote advantages of filming in their country, culture, institutions, and develop exchanges with other countries.

Sounds like a lot doesn’t it? Well, there’s more! There are four more events that take place that are smaller than the main competition, but equally entertaining and educational: ACID, Director’s Fortnight, Critics Week, and Cannes Film Enthusiasts.

Along with red carpet fashion and film reviews, we’re also proud to showcase the Kering: Women in Motion events to promote and celebrate women in film.

We are honored to have covered the 68th Annual Festival de Cannes and we hope you enjoy the photos, reviews, stories, and possibly boost your cinema IQ. -Jonathan Jones

R E D C A R P E T

Red Carpet

page 4

Animation Day

page 22

Court MĂŠtrage

page 25

International Village page 27

Israeli Spokesmodel Hofit Golan

French Model/Actress Noemie Lenoir

Chinese Actress Zhao Tao

Belarusian Model Tanya Dziahileva

Chinese Actress/ Singer/Model Viann Zhang

Princess Clotilde Courau of Venice & Piedmont

Chinese Actress/Singer Jin Qiaoqiao

Israeli FashionModel Bar Rafaeli

French Actress Frédérique Bel

Indian Actress/Director Nandita Das

Belgian Actress Marie Gillain

American Singer John Legend

American Actress Julianne Moore

French Actress Emmanuelle Devos French Actor Guillaume Gallienne

British Actress Naomi Watts

French Actress Leila Bekhti

Co-President of Chopard Caroline Gruosi Scheufele Swiss Producer Alexis Veller

American Supermodel Karlie Kloss

Chinese Actress Fan Bingbing

Mauritanian Director Abderrahmane Sissako

American Actor Jake Gyllenhaal

French Actor Tahar Rahim

Mexican Director Guillermo Del Toro

American Actress Natalie Portman

Dutch Model Doutzen Kroes

Mexican-Kenyan Actress Lupita Nyong’o

Parallel Man: Infinite Pursuit

“Think Avatar meets Tron, set in beautiful 3D animation.”

Parallel Man: Infinite Pursuit is a 13-minute animated sci-fi adventure short that was featured at the inaugural Animation Day in this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The story follows Commander Nick Morgan (John Cho) — an intelligence agent from an evil version of America in an alternate universe. His government, known as “The Ascendancy,” has attacked and enslaved eleven other Earths and has its sights set on our world as their next target.

Nick spent his childhood secretly learning of the freedom in other Americas from his grandfather, Tobias Morgan, and struggles to fulfill the deadly goals of his leaders. Now, after stealing an advanced vehicle prototype and his A.I. companion Atlas (Lance Reddick), Nick seeks out the leaders of a former rebellion known as The Futurists. He’s followed by a security

detail led by Major Cartwright (Ming-Na Wen) and give chase through 3 parallel worlds: Chinamerica, which was set in an American landscape with China’s pollution. Dino World, which was in the wild and featured evolved dinosaurs (that could ride other dinosaurs and communicate in a native tongue). Lastly, the aptly titled Mushroom Earth, whose land was covered in gigantic mushrooms and the atmosphere was riddled with poisonous spores.

Jeffrey currently serves as the creator and co-writer of a number of science-fiction properties including Parallel Man, Brainstorm, and Oceanus — the first two of which are comic book mini-series.

Oceanus, a short live-action film which he directed, will debut Spring/Summer 2015.

He also serves as production designer on all of the FutureDude properties — building worlds from the ground up through illustration and art direction.

Parallel Man is a quality written animated short that surpassed all of my expectations. When you find quality such as this, you often wish it was a full-length feature. Just when I was getting comfortable and looking forward to the next destination for Nick and Atlas, the film was over.

This year’s Cannes Film Festival saw a heavy push for 3D cinema. This film has shown the best 3D quality animation so far, with smooth transitions and amazing graphics.

To sum up this wonderful short in one sentence, think Avatar meets Tron, set in beautiful 3D animation.

This action-packed project is brought to us by Futuredude Entertainment and “Futuredude" himself, Jeffrey Morris.

In the past decade, Jeffrey created Alpha Prime — a science curriculum that won an award from the National Science Teachers Association. He also helped bring Hollywood–style storytelling to education and public outreach for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA’s Master Teachers Program, the International Space University, and Lockheed Martin. Jeffrey serves as a member of the New Horizons Message Initiative and will provide art direction for aspects of that project.

His previous publications include the illustrated screenplay Slingshot which featured a foreword by astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Venus: Daedalus One — which engineer/author Homer Hickam called “prodigious!” Additionally, he is the holder of a technology patent for the futuristic Apple iOS calendar app, Timesphere.

Futuredude Entertainment and has a quality lineup under his belt to expand on.

Cannes has shown more than its share of diversity this year, hosting multiple workshops, conferences, screenings, and networking events promoting women and minorities in film. I’d be remiss to not mention that Jeffrey Morris, an AfricanAmerican, is the brainchild behind

TRAILER

You can look forward to the Parallel Man mobile game in the coming months and the comic series is now available.

We, along with others, are looking forward to the future, dude.

A Fresh Perspective From the Philippines With an Award-Winning Score Agos: The Manila Dream is a 10minute short that was featured in this year’s Short Film Corner (Court Métrage). The story is set in rural Philippines with a young girl named Nina (Precious Hizon) and her mother. Nina’s mother instructs her to take a nap before her aunt comes home. The outcome of finding out she bypassed her nap would result in her not receiving any gifts. But as any young child would do, she bypassed those instructions and posed the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

This prompted Nina’s mother to explain her earliest dreams of moving to the city.

At the time, they were definitely in the countryside. As her mom begins to describe city life, we are left with visuals of people in costume, wearing masks and holding mirrors, posing as “city dwellers.” This leads Nina to inquire about living there. When Nina’s aunt arrives, she too insists she should attend school in the city. Though you could see her mom’s reservations in her body language, she refused to give a definite yes or no.

The entire short is a contrasting visual between city life and country life. The city in question is Metro Manila. We find out from Nina’s aunt that once upon a time, her mother actually wanted her to be schooled in the city. But after finding happiness in the countryside, she asks Nina, “Can you find happiness here?” Her aunt was very much in support of Nina moving to the city, but when asked about her life personally she responded: “Nothing’s changed, I’m still working myself into lather. You know how difficult life is.”

Agos: The Manila Dream was directed

by Lyka Gonzalez, written by Yumi Catabijan, and the two share the credit in producing. I’d like to point out and give kudos to the film’s score. The perfect accompaniment to the film was the soothing chords in the soundtrack, invoking thought, feeling, and emotion in each scene. The original score came from JP del Mundo and the film even won Best Musical Score from the España Cine Abierto 2015.

International Village Highlights Global Cinematic Interests

International Village along the beach

One of the biggest attractions outside the Palais was the International Village. All along the beach sat hundreds of tents, representing various international film boards from Azerbaijan to New Zealand. After eating Dutch candy in The Netherlands and enjoying a nice croissant while using UK’s wifi (thanks UK Film Board), I took a break to go over my books from the IFB (Irish Film Board). One of the

many items I discovered was a DVD loaded with shorts entitled “Irish Shorts in the Spotlight” to promote Irish talent in film. I found 3 great shorts that are definitely worth your time: Bloody Good Headline, Rockmount, and Deadly.

Irish Shorts Bloody Good Headline Directors: Tom Burke and Paul Quinn Producer: Shane Hogan Bloody Good Headline explores the experience of the orange-vested newspaper sellers who dot Dublin's streets in the mornings and evenings. A cast of characters with outlooks as diverse as their places of origin, the people behind the headlines open up about their unusual working lives.

The film follows the group around the bustling traffic of Dublin during various times of the day, each citing their own likes, grievances, regrets, and plans for the future. One man mentioned he walks around 12 km (7.45mi) daily, even on achy legs. Another man voiced his disdain for the job but respectively noted the following:

selling. If you get sick or can’t make it, you don’t get paid. This job has taught me to fight through the pain and sickness because I need to get paid.”

All four gentlemen were congruent on the aspect of learning life lessons from the job. But with long hours and sometimes unfriendly people, why not just get another job? Well, finding jobs aren’t easy in Dublin and as one man put it “you need something, so I sell papers.” To make matters worse, the last employee they highlighted stated that he made 100 euro a week which is a paltry 50% of what welfare pays. Selling papers in Ireland isn’t easy but there will always be news.

As one man put it, “It wouldn’t be Ireland without 1 shooting a day.”

“Working this job will change your perspective on life. You only earn by

“I walk around 12 km daily, even on achy legs”

Rockmount Director: Dave Tynan Producer: Michael Donnelly V Rockmount is a comedy drama set in Cork in 1982. It follows a child named Roy, a diminutive eleven year old that tries to make it onto the starting eleven of his football (soccer) team, Rockmount. The odds are definitely stacked against him as he’s younger and smaller than the other players. His best friend is his black labrador and he’s serious about everything. When the balls aren’t there he scolds his coach, when his dinner is late he shouts at his mother and he looks demonic enough that when he stares at a baby in the supermarket, it bursts into tears.

This is the most serious little boy you may ever see. If he’s not at practice giving 110% then he’s doing pushups and crunches in his room, or he might spend a few rounds sparring at the gym. It’s very rare to find a child like this with laser sharp focus and dedication.

The older kids push him around to a degree, that is until he finds the

ringleader in his position and calls him out. He immediately lets him know that he won’t be backing down and he’s going to start in his place.

The bully didn’t hesitate to let Roy know he was two years younger than most of the team. But empty threats didn’t affect Roy’s drive as he continued to work hard and outshine other players on the pitch (field). This hard work eventually led him to a spot on the starting-11 (starting lineup).

The moment of truth for Roy was when the arrogant bully had to take off his Rockmount kit (jersey) and hand give it to him. Did Roy even celebrate his achievement? Nope, he ran straight home to continue training.

Deadly Director: Aidan McAteer Producer: Shannon George Boney, pictured above, is stuck at a dead-end job harvesting souls for a living. His mechanism to do so is reminiscent of how Ghostbusters used to capture their targets (using a contraption similar to a vacuum) and released them into a container back at headquarters. On a regular basis, Boney would walk around a nursing home taking the souls of those who took their final breath. This was his daily boredom until he met a spunky woman named Bridie.

Academy award winner, Brenda Fricker and Love/Hate star Peter

Coonan lend their voices to this bittersweet animated short. Once she breaches his rough personality they briefly become friends until “her time� comes.

This film is a great reflection on life, death, and dancing. Deadly is the recipient of the Don Quijote Award for Animation in a Short Film and rightfully so. This 10-minute short is a beautiful tribute to life and everything it has to offer. This film is wonderful in the fact that it touches all the senses and the ending leaves you with a gentle reminder of the important things in life.

La Semaine de Critique (Critics Week)

page 32

Red Carpet Pt. 2

page 35

Kering: Women in Motion

page 49

Krisha Makes Her Mark During Critics Week The Cannes Film Festival is the motion picture Motherland for all things film. Each year its coastline and 5-star hotels host everything from workshops and conferences to exclusive parties and private screenings. On the opening day of the festival (Wednesday) my colleague and I took the shuttle from Nice airport to Cannes. We made a friend during that journey named Wilson Smith.

A week prior to arriving in Cannes I received a mountain of emails from PR personnel all over the world, including a press release for a film titled, “Krisha.”

Coming from Atlanta I had a list of movies already made before stepping foot into France, and Krisha was on my list. Not only did we find out Wilson was a co-producer of the film, the very next day on the train, we haphazardly bumped into the rest of his team, including director Trey Edward Shults. Coincidence?

We think not. We’ll give that nod to the magic and mystery of the Festival. You truly

never know who you might bump into or where the day may take you.

All of that brings us to this remarkable film, brought to us by an amazing group out of Austin, Texas. Krisha (Krisha Fairchild, the director's real-life aunt) is a free-spirited woman who, after an extended period of

“The winner of the Grand Jury and Audience Awards at SXSW” absence, is reuniting with her immediate and extended family for a holiday dinner at her sister Robyn's (Robyn Fairchild) house in Texas. Robyn, her husband and her children are all eager to greet Krisha, but from the start, a palpable unease permeates the air; an unease that only grows in force as time passes. Her nephew Trey (director Trey Edward Shults) is her main focus of reconciliation, as she feels he has become the most distant. The longer she stays the more she starts to unravel and the ultimate standoff ensues.

Her absence in the lives of her family was due to problems in her personal life. We find out alcohol had a role to play in her downfall. It even caused her to lie to her sister about how and when she was clean. Unfortunately, that didn’t last either as we saw her relapse at least twice during her stay.

The film is an open look into that awkward family dinner that some people love and most loathe the thought of. Hyper-aggressive young nephews, budding young nieces, babies fresh out of delivery, grandparents, and the ever beloved in-laws.

For a largely nonprofessional cast, this work is a great opportunity to highlight homegrown talent. Robyn Fairchild, Krisha’s real-life sister, was excellent in this movie. There’s one scene in particular towards the end, after she

drags Krisha from the dinner area and takes her into a bathroom upstairs. There’s a hearty, powerful exchange that takes place between her and Krisha which pretty much seals the movie as “the real deal.”

Bill Wise is responsible for the sensible and sometimes inappropriate comedy by Doyle (Krisha’s brother-in-law). He and Krisha would laugh it up on her smoke breaks in the backyard away from the rest of the family.

They briefly connect over their shared disdain of dogs (which were all over the house) but as her connection with the rest of the family falls apart, the same happens with Doyle.

The winner of the Grand Jury and Audience Awards at SXSW (South by South West), Krisha was an official festival selection for Critics Week (Semaine De La Critique).

The entire production team should be happy about this project. The Hail Mary they lobbed in Austin paid off and now the film has taken off. Winning the hearts of festival-goers in Cannes was just the beginning, and now there’s even talks of a distribution deal for the project.

Its safe to say that Krisha is this year’s “sleeper” at the festival. A former actress herself, Krisha Fairchild could be the next Judi Dench, Angela Lansbury, or

Maggie Smith for all we know. At a time when roles for older women are scarce, Krisha has kicked down the door and made her presence known.

AWARDS FEATURE FILMS – COMPETITION Palme d’or

DHEEPAN (Erran) by Jacques AUDIARD

Grand Prix

SAUL FIA (Son of Saul) by László NEMES

Best Director Award HOU Hsiao-Hsien for NIE YINNIANG (The Assassin)

Jury Prize THE LOBSTER by Yorgos LANTHIMOS

Best Actress Award Rooney MARA in CAROL by Todd HAYNES

Emmanuelle BERCOT in MON ROI by MAÏWENN

Best Actor Award

Vincent LINDON in LA LOI DU MARCHÉ (The Measure of a Man) by Stéphane BRIZÉ

Best Screenplay Award

Michel FRANCO for CHRONIC

Caméra D’OR

LA TIERRA Y LA SOMBRA by César Augusto ACEVEDO presented during

LA SEMAINE DE LA CRITIQUE SHORT FILMS – COMPETITION Palme d’or WAVES ’98 by Ely DAGHER

DIRECTOR’S FORTNIGHT SACD Prize

My Golden Days (Arnaud Desplechin)

Europa Cinemas Label

Mustang (Deniz Gamze Erguven)

Art Cinema Award

Embrace of the Serpent (Ciro Guerra)

Illy Prize

Rate Me! (Fyzal Boulifa)

Special Mention

The Exquisit Corpus (Peter Tscherkassky)

Oceans Prize

Pape (Nicolas Polixene)

UN CERTAIN REGARD Un Certain Regard Prize

HRÚTAR (Béliers / Rams) by Grímur Hákonarson

Jury Prize

ZVIZDAN (Soleil de plomb / The High Sun) by Dalibor Matanić

Best Director Prize

Kiyoshi Kurosawa for KISHIBE NO TABI (Vers l’autre rive / Journey to the Shore)

Un Certain Talent Prize

COMOARA (Le Trésor / Treasure) by Corneliu Porumboiu

Promising Future Prize

MASAAN by Neeraj Ghaywan

Ex aequo

NAHID by Ida Panahandeh

R E D C A R P E T

PART2

Russian Reality TV Star Elena Lenina

French Hair stylist/Businessman Franck Provost & wife Olivia Provost

English Actress/Designer Fagun Thakrar

French Actor Pierre Richard & Ceyla Lacerda

Indian Actress/Model Mallika Sherawat

British-Indian Actress/Model Katrina Kaif

English Model & Fashion Blogger Emma Miller

South African Actress Charlize Theron

Cast of Mad Max: Fury Road (L to R) Margaret Sixel, Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, George Miller, Charlize Theron, Tom Hardy, Courtney Eaton, and Doug Mitchell

ACID is an association of filmmakers created in 1992 in order to support the cinema distribution of independent films and organizing encounters between the authors and the audience. Each year, ACID filmmakers support 20 to 30 feature films and aims to build the exposure of films over time (primarily in small and medium-sized cities). As you can see by the sheer size of the Cannes Film Festival, there is literally something for everyone (workshop, speaking engagement, competition, networking, marketplace, etc.).

If I could, I’d watch every screening available to me during the festival. But since there are literally thousands, that would take weeks, if not months. But out of all the ACID screenings available I decided to go with Je Suis Le Peuple (I Am The People).

I Am The People is set in the countryside of Egypt. Far from Tahrir Square, Farraj, a South Egyptian farmer, tries to keep up with the many events going on as the revolutions takes shape.

Farraj watches TV in January 2011 and catches his first glimpse of the revolution taking shape in Tahrir Square. With his hookah in hand and his children close by, they watch in amazement at all the people who’ve rallied together to oppose the regime. It’s difficult to get a rise out of Farraj or his fellow villagers. This was shown quickly as his newscast was interrupted by a power failure. In pitch blackness, he can be heard stating, “The electricity is out” as he continues unfazed, to smoke his hookah.

Via Skype, he discovers that same night that different media outlets are reporting different things. His friend explains to him the goings-ons around the Square and what’s taking place is bigger than what either of them could imagine.

The film’s director Anna Roussillon followed Farraj and other family members around the village to get their opinions on what’s taking place. From what I could take from the film, a big stamp of legitimacy was given to Al-Jazeera. From the tones of people it seemed like the only news outlet they could trust to deliver the truth.

Although most agreed that Mubarak’s time was over, Farraj’s wife seemed ambivalent. She, along with other women, was more concerned about the future for the children. They wanted whatever would be best to provide them a better life. The children were very sharp and aware of everything going on, on top of handling business at school.

Anna spoke to Marwa (Farraj’s daughter) to get her opinion on the uprising and she was very candid. Many things were happening but it was all on TV in Cairo.

Before the revolution and during, “Nothing has changed in the village” she states.

The only thing that changed was the price of fuel. All the women at least, were in agreement that the revolution didn’t affect them because of the distance.

Everyone in the village knows each other and helps each other, even during the times of stress (coming together to share cans of fuel when times were scarce).

Farraj invests in a Mill for the village as a new source of income that can be left for the children after he passes. He labeled it a ‘long-term investment’ that could be his legacy and after around six months (Spring 2012), the majority of the village was using it. Farrah is a very forward thinking, resourceful man. The first machine he brought to the village was the Mill that villagers used in conjunction with their flour. The next machine was similar to what people in the States would use to dig wells. There was a time when water was low around the village and he found an alternative way to find a source until the next rainfall.

As the world watched what took place in Cairo, I Am The People gives a great perspective on a myriad of issues. First, it shows how the revolution wouldn’t necessarily effect all Egyptians. From the massive turnouts to the arresting of Mubarak to the many elections, none of that affected Farraj and his village which was in the South. Secondly, it shows how quickly things change. Initially Farraj was 100% for Morsi and gave his reasons why: Denouncing the Brotherhood, being a man of the people, and not having military ties were the important ones.

But soon after he took office (Winter 2012), he signed an illegal declaration, forging a new dictatorship. After this occurs Anna once again asks him if he still supported Morsi 100% and he responded a simple “No.” While others in the village heckled him to a certain degree, he accepted he was wrong in his choice and could not have predicted his actions once he took office.

Farraj’s wife also made a point that what’s good for them (in Cairo) isn’t necessarily good for their village. She points to differing perspectives from women. The newer generation doesn’t cover up and that bothered her. “This type of thing doesn’t concern them,” so her only issue with the revolution was its effect on her neighbors, her people. Twice there was a gas shortage and people were forced to borrow from some and lend to others. She also stated “I need the fuel, I make my own bread. If I don’t make, I don’t eat!” as she laughs lightly.

Capturing this historic moment in time, Anna Roussillon shares contrasting perspectives from the region where their very future is being forged. It’s one thing to get a journalist’s perspective from TV, but CNN and other American media outlets wouldn’t have been able to give us what Anna did. This is a small example of the magic that can only be found at a film festival. For her first feature documentary, I was left feeling like I witnessed a veteran at work.

The Women in Motion Talks debuted on May 14, 2015, in Cannes, and formed a central focus of the Women in Motion initiative, launched jointly by Kering and the Festival de Cannes to celebrate talented women in film. The beautiful Hotel Majestic hosted this event from 11am to noon daily. This opportunity was extremely limited to just under 60 journalists and film industry professionals. The talks offered the opportunity to reflect on and discuss women in cinema around a number of industry figures who shared their point of view on the topic.

The inaugural Women in Motion Talk welcomed Italian-American actress and director Isabella Rossellini, alongside French producer Claudie Ossard.

Renowned for her rich career, Isabella Rossellini has left her mark on the history of film, acting in iconic works of Italian, French and English-language cinema.

She also appeared in numerous television series before moving behind the camera to become a director. Isabella Rossellini was in Cannes as President of the Un Certain Regard Jury for the Festival’s 68th edition.

Claudie Ossard has produced numerous films over the past 30 years that have left an imprint on cinema both in France and around the world. One of her most notable imprints was in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amélie, one of the greatest successes of French film overseas.

L-R: Isabella Rossellini, Francois-Henri Pinault and Claudie Ossard (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Kering)

Probably the most fun day out of the bunch was the second day of the Women in Motion Talks when they welcomed Mexican Actress/Director/ Producer Salma Hayek.

After having seen Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory in a local movie theatre, Salma decided she wanted to become an actress. Only after attending Mexico City's Universidad Iberoamericana did she feel ready to pursue acting seriously.

She’s starred in such films as Desperado, Frida, Once Upon A Time in Mexico, Wild Wild West, Dogma, and From Dusk Til Dawn.

Her most notable producing credit comes from her executive production on the TV series Ugly Betty. In the video below, she gives a personal account of the difficulty being a female producer in the film industry. She also eludes to the one secret that’s guaranteed to make men take interest in your project…

SALMA SPEAKS

Salma Hayek Pinault (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Kering)

Day 3 of Women in Motion Talks began with Claire Denis. Claire Denis is a French film director and writer. Her work has dealt with themes of colonial and post-colonial West Africa, as well as issues in modern France.

She established herself with films like Chocolat, US Go Home, Nénette et Boni, Beau travail, Trouble Every Day, Vendredi soir and White Material.

Atmosphere during Kering Talks 'Women In Motion’ (Photo

by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Kering)

François-Henri Pinault, Jane Fonda and Megan Ellison with Women In Motion Awards at the Kering Official Cannes Dinner (Photo by Venturelli/Getty Images)

Later that evening, Kering and the Festival de Cannes, welcomed close to 200 guests at the Place de la Castre, on the hills of Le Suquet in Cannes for the Presidential Dinner. Pierre Lescure, President of the Festival de Cannes, Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate of the Festival de Cannes, and FrançoisHenri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, have given their respective awards to both laureates of the evening: the committed American actress and producer Jane Fonda, and the American producer Megan Ellison. As co-hosts of the event, Kering and the Festival de Cannes have also paid a tribute to Olivia de Havilland, the first woman to be appointed President of the Jury of the Festival de Cannes in 1965, 50 years ago.

Among guests from the film industry, the Presidential Dinner gathered the following actresses: Claudia Cardinale, Frances McDormand, Salma Hayek Pinault, Isabelle Huppert, Sophie Marceau, Julie Gayet, Clothilde Courau, Marilou Berry, Charlotte Le Bon, Golshifteh Farahani, Rossy de Palma, Li Bingbing, Gianna Jun, Nadine Labaki, Nandita Das as well as the actors Benicio del Toro, John Turturro, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tahar Rahim, Pierre Niney, Melvil Poupaud, Gilles Lellouche, Edouard Baer, and Vincent Lindon.

So aside from the honors themselves, it was great to see extraneous celebrities everywhere you turned in support of the event. The laundry list of top-tier guests continued in attendance to honor the great Jane Fonda and producer Megan Ellison, the first-ever recipients of the “Women in Motion” Awards (you can see them in the link below).

Celebrating the contribution of women to the film industry, the Presidential Dinner has also marked the launch of the first edition of the ‘Women in Motion’ initiative at the Festival de Cannes. By 2016, the program will include two ‘Women in Motion’ Awards: a first award honoring a remarkable contribution to the women’s cause, and a second one to distinguish a young and talented female filmmaker, to help young talented women gain visibility and recognition in the film industry.

AWARDS

L-R Jane Fonda, Francois-Henry Pinault, Salma Hayek Pinault, and Jake Gyllenhaal (Photo

by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Rebecca Zlotowski and Melvil Poupaud participate in the Kering Talks 'Women In Motion’ (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Kering)

L-R Anne Dominique Toussaint and Golshifteh Farahani participate in Kering Talks 'Women In Motion' At The 68th Annual Cannes Film Festival (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Kering)

It was an honor and a pleasure to be a part of such a groundbreaking event in its inaugural year. With this much momentum out the gates, I know it will be an even bigger success next year with more speakers and events.

It is very important that we don’t turn a blind-eye to something very important in the film community and business in general. That’s another reason why it was so great to see such a great turnout for the Talks and Awards (and a great male turnout as well). I hope that Kering has plans for other events year-round to continue the great momentum they’ve built from the success in Cannes.

For people who don’t understand where the disconnect may lie, a lot of it stems from the lack of opportunities afforded. There’s an Oscar-Nominated director named Lexi Alexander who said the following in her blog in January 2014: “There is no lack of female directors, but there is a huge lack of people willing to give female directors opportunities. I swear, if anyone near me even so much as whispers the sentence "Women probably don't want to direct," my fist will fly as a reflex action.”

That statement has “years of frustration” written all over it. But if you think about it as it relates to TV (which she uses as an example in her article that can be found on IndieWire HERE), aside from Shonda Rhimes, can you name a female executive producer?

The Women in Motion Talks have sparked much debate and have jumpstarted the conversation. With all that Jane Fonda has contributed to film and the path she’s paved for women, I feel she was the perfect first recipient of the “Women-in-Motion” award. Subpar attempts have been made in the past to “even the playing field” and its about time that women worldwide receive their due not just in film, but in business, period.

Jon Jones Editor-in-Chief jon@peachreview.com Hakim Wright Photographer hksrphotography@gmail.com

Thank you reading our coverage of the 68e Festival de Cannes. It’s never too early to start planning for next year, so be sure to visit their website for dates and schedules.

As for the festival itself? As they say in France, “Au revoir pour maintenant!”

*All Red Carpet photos and the cover were taken by Hakim Wright of The Peach Review®

A fond farewell to the Cote d’Azur (Monaco by Hakim Wright)