78th Cannes Film Festival: Iranian Director Jafar Panahi Wins Palme d’Or and Indian Film ‘Homebound’ Receives Special Recognition.

Awards

The 78th annual Cannes International Film Festival took place from 13 to 24 May 2025 in Cannes, France. Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi won the festival’s highest honor, the Palme d’Or, for his drama film ‘It Was Just an Accident’.


      - The festival was chaired by French actress Juliette Binoche, who led a nine-member jury including notable cinema personalities such as Indian director Payal Kapadia, American actor Jeremy Strong, South Korean filmmaker Hong Sangsoo, among others.

      - Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier received the Grand Prix for his family drama ‘Sentimental Value’, which explores the complexities of reconciliation.

      - Iraqi filmmaker Hasan Hadi made history by winning the Caméra d’Or award for ‘The President’s Cake’, a childhood drama set during economic sanctions—the first Iraqi filmmaker to receive this honor.

Main Point :-   (i) Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, ‘Homebound’ was selected for the Un Certain Regard section.

      (ii) The film stars Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa, and marks Ghaywan’s return to Cannes after his acclaimed debut ‘Masaan’ in 2015.

(iii) At the Cannes Film Market, the biopic ‘Kalam: The Missile Man of India’ was officially unveiled. The film, directed by Om Raut, stars Dhanush in the lead role.

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