Cannes 2025: Jafar Panahi’s ‘It Was Simply an Accident’ wins Palme d’Or, a staggering sixth straight triumph for Neon

Energy outages could have shrouded the French Riviera in literal darkness on the ultimate day of the 78th Cannes Movie Pageant, however the Palais nonetheless managed to ship an electrical finale. Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi took residence the Palme d’Or for his absurdist drama, It Was Simply an Accident, marking each a private and political victory for its maker, but in addition for U.S. distributor Neon, now six-for-six in Cannes’ high prize.

The win indicators a strong comeback for Panahi, who was underneath a 20-year filmmaking ban till the Iranian authorities lastly relented. It Was Simply an Accident is his first movie made with authorized sanction in over a decade. In it, Panahi explores themes of justice and trauma by 5 former prisoners who consider they’ve discovered the prosecutor who as soon as tortured them, which can be knowledgeable by actual conversations Panahi had throughout his personal imprisonment.

“This Palme d’Or is not only for me,” Panahi stated in a press release, “however for each artist who dares to talk reality to energy… Crucial factor is our nation and the liberty of our nation. Let’s arrive at this second, collectively, when nobody dares to say what we should always put on, what we should always or shouldn’t do.”

Neon’s acquisition of the movie halfway by the competition now makes it the distributor of six consecutive Palme winners — Parasite, Titane, Triangle of Unhappiness, Anatomy of a Fall, Anora, and now It Was Simply an Accident. The feat has elevated the indie outfit to near-mythic standing on the Croisette and positions the movie as a right away Oscar contender, significantly within the worldwide function and director classes.

However Panahi wasn’t the one filmmaker to go away Cannes with momentum. Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Worth took residence the Grand Prix, successfully the runner-up prize. A household drama a couple of filmmaker father reconciling along with his estranged actress daughter by casting her in his most private movie but, Trier described his work as “an alternate language of unification” in a shifting acceptance speech.

Trier, whose The Worst Particular person within the World beforehand made Oscar noise in 2022, might very nicely discover himself again within the awards dialog — and this time with a shot at Greatest Image, particularly given Neon’s backing and the Academy’s rising openness to worldwide narratives.

The Jury Prize was break up between two of the competitors’s most audacious entries: Olivier Laxe’s Sirat, a soul-searching highway film, and Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling, an formidable century-spanning movie that drew reward from critics. The shared win doubtless represents this yr’s jury’s appreciation for formal experimentation, one thing that will not translate on to the Oscars, although each movies might very nicely sneak into classes like worldwide function or screenplay.

Greatest Director went to Kleber Mendonça Filho for The Secret Agent, a political thriller set throughout Brazil’s navy dictatorship. Its lead, Wagner Moura, additionally nabbed the Greatest Actor prize for his function as a father on the run. Given the Academy’s current embrace of worldwide political dramas together with I’m Nonetheless Right here, The Zone of Curiosity and All Quiet on the Western Entrance; The Secret Agent might mount a marketing campaign throughout a number of classes, significantly if Brazil selects it as its official Oscar entry, contemporary of its win from final yr.

In a breakout efficiency, Nadia Melliti gained Greatest Actress for Little Sister, a coming-of-age drama that additionally took residence the Queer Palm. Directed by Hafsia Herzi, the movie’s twin wins could mirror the trail of Emilia Pérez, which debuted at Cannes final yr earlier than making waves (and controversy) throughout awards season.

The screenplay prize went to stalwarts Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for Younger Moms, an exploration of teenage being pregnant. Whereas the Dardennes are Cannes royalty, the screenplay award can typically be a bellwether for Oscar nominations, significantly within the unique screenplay class.

Different notable awards included the Prix Spécial for Bi Gan’s sci-fi epic, Resurrection and the Digital camera d’Or for Hasan Hadi’s The President’s Cake, a landmark win as the primary Iraqi movie ever awarded at Cannes. Hadi’s function about an unassuming baker out of the blue elected president throughout wartime, has already drawn distributor curiosity and might be a darkish horse within the worldwide race if Iraq submits it.

Of the 21 movies in competitors, a number of notable names went residence empty-handed — amongst them Wes Anderson (The Phoenician Scheme), Julia Ducournau (Alpha), and Ari Aster (Eddington). However Neon’s different picks fared higher: past It Was Simply an Accident, the corporate additionally backed Sentimental Worth, Sirat, and The Secret Agent — all of which earned main awards, solidifying its astonishing domination at Cannes.

The Academy itself continues to deepen its relationship with the competition. Its personal networking mixer throughout Cannes has develop into an unstated marketing campaign launchpad. With the final three Palme d’Or winners — Triangle of Unhappiness, Anatomy of a Fall, and Anora — all changing into Greatest Image nominees, Cannes is clearly again within the Oscar dialog as a serious precursor.

If historical past is any indicator, It Was Simply an Accident might very nicely be a frontrunner within the 2026 awards race. And with Neon steering the ship, it wouldn’t be shocking if it’s one other Palme-to-Oscar trajectory.

Full Listing of 2024 Cannes Winners:

Palme d’Or: It Was Simply an Accident, Jafar Panahi

Grand Prix: Sentimental Worth, Joachim Trier

Greatest Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho, The Secret Agent

Greatest Actor: Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Greatest Actress: Nadia Melliti, Little Sister

Jury Prize (Tie): Sirat, Olivier Laxe and Sound of Falling, Mascha Schilinski

Prix Spécial: Resurrection, Bi Gan

Greatest Screenplay: Younger Moms, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

Digital camera d’Or: The President’s Cake, Hasan Hadi

Digital camera d’Or Particular Point out: My Father’s Shadow, Akinola Davies Jr.

Queer Palm: Little Sister, Hafsia Herzi

Palme Canine: Panda, The Love That Stays