Which films compete for the Caméra d’or?
All first feature films presented in one of the three main Cannes selections are eligible for the Caméra d’or.
The Official Selection
This is the collection of films proposed each year by the Festival de Cannes within its various sections of feature and short films: Competition, Un Certain Regard, Out of Competition, Cannes Première, Special Screenings, Cannes Classics, La Cinef…
The Semaine de la Critique
Since its creation in 1962 by the French Syndicate of Film Critics, the Semaine de la Critique, an independent parallel section of the Festival de Cannes, is dedicated to discovering emerging talent in cinema by showcasing first and second feature films.
The Directors’ Fortnight
Created in 1969 by the Society of Film Directors (Société des Réalisatrices et Réalisateurs de Films, SRF), the Directors’ Fortnight is an independent parallel selection of the Festival de Cannes, aimed at discovering the most unique voices in contemporary cinema.
The Trophy
The Caméra d’or trophy, created by Swiss jeweler Chopard, who also manufactures the Palme d’or, is awarded during the Closing Ceremony of the Festival de Cannes.
They’ve been highlighted by the Caméra d’or…
Since its inception, the Caméra d’or has helped discover numerous filmmakers who later achieved international success and recognition. This includes Steve McQueen, whose career took off after winning the Caméra d’or in 2008 for Hunger. This award-winning British director later won an Oscar in 2014 for his film 12 Years a Slave. Similarly, Anthony Chen saw his film Ilo Ilo, which won the Caméra d’or in 2013, gain international recognition and win over thirty awards after its premiere at Cannes. Lukas Dhont, who won the Caméra d’or in 2018 for Girl, returned to the Festival in 2022 with Close, which was honored with the Grand Prix.
The most recent winner is Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel for Armand, which has already had a remarkable festival journey.
However, the Caméra d’or has also spotlighted talented female directors. Since its creation, 37% of the awardees have been women. The first female director to win the Caméra d’or was Fina Torres in 1985 with her film Oriana, presented in Un Certain Regard. The most recent winners are Riley Keough and Gina Gammell for War Pony, which was part of Un Certain Regard in 2022.
