WINNERS OF THE 2018 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

When Spike Lee's new feature, "BlacKkKlansman" made it's world premiere at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, it was met with impassioned praise and a lengthy standing ovation. This comedy-drama is based on the unbelievable true story of an African-American police detective (John David Washington, son of Denzel) in Colorado who manages to not only join the local Ku Klux Klan but eventually becomes the head of this chapter with the help of a Jewish officer (Adam Driver). Lee had been very vocal about feeling robbed for not winning the Palme d'Or when his "Do The Right Thing" was shown in competition back in 1989. While it didn't receive the top prize this year, "BlacKkKlansman" won the Grand Prix, a runner-up award. It will be released in the U.S. later this summer on August 10th.

But it was "Shoplifters" by Hirokazu Kore-Eda that took the top prize of the Palme d'Or. This moving drama from the Japanese filmmaker (who won a Jury Prize in 2013 for "Like Father, Like Son") tells the story of a poor, struggling family forced to steal in order to survive. Pawel Pawlikowski, the 2013 Oscar-winner of Best Foreign-Language Film for "Ida", took the Best Director Prize for his latest, "Cold War". This black & white drama with music is loosely based on his parents' complicated yet loving relationship. And Gaspar Noé, the antagonistic film director from Argentina, said he was stunned by the glowing reaction to his new film, "Climax" and I'm sure he was completely floored when he won the Art Cinema Award for the film that screened in the Directors' Fortnight section.

Here is a partial list of winners from the 2018 Cannes Film Festival:

Palme d’Or: "Shoplifters"

Grand Prix: "BlacKkKlansman"



Jury Prize: "Capernaum"



Best Director: Pawel Pawlikowski, "Cold War"



Best Actor: Marcello Fonte, "Dogman"

Best Actress: Samal Yeslyamova, "My Little One"

Best Screenplay: (Tie) Alice Rohrwacher, "Happy As Lazzaro" and Nader Saeivar, "3 Faces"



Caméra d’Or: "Girl"



Short Film Palme d’Or: "All These Creatures"

Special Mention: "On The Border"

Special Palme d’Or: Jean-Luc Godard, "Image Book"

Un Certain Regard Award: "Border"



Un Certain Regard Best Director: Sergei Loznitsa, "Donbass"

Un Certain Regard Best Performance: Viktor Polster, "Girl"

Un Certain Regard Best Screenplay: Meryem Benm’Barek, "Sofia"

Special Jury Prize: João Salaviza and Renée Nader Messora, "The Dead and the Others"

Art Cinema Award: "Climax"