Cannes parallel section Directors’ Fortnight has unveiled a new audience award, dubbed the People’s Choice prize.
It is supported by the Fondation Chantal Akerman, which will award the winning filmmaker a €7,500 prize, to be presented at the closing ceremony.
Organisers claim this is the first audience award in the history of the festival.
In a statement, Directors’ Fortnight said: “The absence of competition between filmmakers is a value we hold dear… This is why we see the People’s Choice not as a prize for the “best” film in the selection, but rather as an affirmation of a unique cinematic proposition embracing individuality and freedom of cinematographic expression.
“The People’s Choice is a mark of achievement designed to help this filmmaker and their film find further audiences, thereby giving a boost to a surprising film that has particularly captivated festival viewers.”
Organisers added: “We have chosen to place this initiative as part of the legacy of Chantal Akerman, whose pioneering, eclectic and fiercely independent vision might serve as a compass for this new People’s Choice.”
Ackerman’s film 23 quai du Commerce - 1080 Brussels was recently voted the best film in the history of cinema by Sight and Sound. Four of her films were selected for Directors’ Fortnight.
Directors’ Fortnight is non-competitive, however there are number of partner prizes, including the SACD prize for best French-language feature and the Europa Cinemas’ award for best European film.
The selection for Cannes’ main sections will be unveiled on April 11, with the parallel sections the following week.
No comments yet