FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

 © Loïc Venance / AFP
© Loïc Venance / AFP
A reflection of creation, a mirror on the world, the Festival invites filmmakers from around the world to bear witness to their times. By selecting them, the Festival offers them a canvass of free artistic and political expression, which contributes, edition after edition, to redrawing the world film map. It’s also in full awareness of this issue that the Festival determines its Official Selection, which is both demanding and attentive to diversity and equality. It’s with this same consciousness and this same desire to make all voices heard that people from all over the world are brought together to sit on its juries and that the Festival is organised.

Some recent benchmarks

2022

Eric PIERMONT / AFP © Iris Knobloch - Présidente du Festival de Cannes
Nomination of Iris Knobloch, first woman to become President of the Festival de Cannes.

2021

Cristophe Simon / AFP © Tang Yi, Palme d'or
Women directors distinguished themselves in a historic manner at the awards by taking home the four most prestigious prizes from the different competitions: the French director Julia Ducournau won the Palme d’or for Titane, the Hong Kong director won the Short Film Palme d’or for Tian Xia Wu Ya (All the Crows in the World), the Croatian director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic won the Caméra d’or for her debut film Murina and the Russian director Kira Kovalenko took home the Un Certain Regard Prize for Razzhimaya Kulaki (Unclenching the Fists).

2021

 © FDC
The Marché du Film proposed a collection of programmes under the “impACT” banner, the goal of which is to give rise to conversations and debates on the questions of inclusiveness, diversity, responsibility and sustainability in the film industry. The goal is to supply professionals with the necessary knowledge and tools to work towards multifaceted and pluralistic filmmaking, one whose content is meant for all participants.

2020

Spike Lee - President of the Feature Films Jury © Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images
Spike Lee’s statement: “I’m honoured to be the first person from the African diaspora (USA) to be president of the Jury of Cannes and of a major festival.”

2020

Parity is ensured among the Festival’s selection committee, which now has 5 women and 4 men.

2018

 © Loïc Venance / AFP
In May 2018, on the occasion of the launching of the 50/50 charter for parity and diversity in cinema, a climbing of the steps by 82 women was symbolically organised with a powerful speech from Agnès Varda, Honorary Palme d’or winner in 2015, and Cate Blanchett, president of the Jury that year.

2018

(From top L) French actress Eye Haidara, French actress Maimouna Gueye, French director Magaajyia Silberfeld, French actress and producer France Zobda and French actress Sabine Pakora, (C fromL) French actress and writer Mata Gabin, French writer Rachel Khan, French actress and Miss France 2000 Sonia Rolland, French actress Aissa Maiga, French-Portuguese actress Sara Martins, French actress Firmine Richard and French actress Nadege Beausson-Diagne, (front from L) French actress Assa Sylla, French actress Karidja Toure, French comedian and humorist Shirley Souagnon and French-Cameroonian Marie-Philomene Nga, the 16 black women who fight for equality and inclusion of black women in the French film industry pose on May 16, 2018 with Burundian singer and member of the Feature Film Jury Khadja Nin (C) as they arrive for the screening of the film "Burning" at the 71st edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (Photo by LOIC VENANCE / AFP) © Collectif "Noire n'est pas mon métier"
The red steps welcome the “Noire n’est pas mon métier” (Black is not my profession) collective.

2000

Village international du Festival de Cannes © Village international du Festival de Cannes
Creation of the Village international. 22 years after its creation, it now welcomes over 60 film countries every year.

The other commitments of the Festival de Cannes