The Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded to competing films, displayed before the start of the 78th Cannes Film Festival
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As the 78th Cannes Film Festival approaches its conclusion, speculation is mounting over which film will walk away with the Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize. Several key contenders have emerged in what has been another year marked by politically charged themes, star-driven premieres, and intense bidding wars among distributors.The festival jury, led by Juliette Binoche, will announce its decisions today. In the past, Cannes juries have often split awards among films to recognise diverse voices and global storytelling, so a shared prize or surprise win remains a strong possibility.ALSO READ:Chilean AIDS drama ‘The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo’ wins Un Certain Regard while India’s ‘Homebound’ leaves empty-handedOne clear frontrunner is Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, which earned the longest standing ovation (15 minutes) of the festival so far, after its world premiere. The Norwegian family drama, starring Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning and Renate Reinsve, has resonated with both audiences and critics, and its distributor Neon is reportedly eyeing its sixth consecutive Palme d’Or win after past successes with Parasite, Titane, Triangle of Sadness, Anatomy of a Fall and last year’s Anora . A win would make Sentimental Value the first Norwegian film to claim the Palme d’Or.Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident is another strong candidate. The Iranian director, whose ability to attend the festival after years of government-imposed restrictions made headlines, brings a politically resonant film condemning Iran’s legal system. The film has been well received critically and sits near the top of Screen Daily’s Cannes jury grid, alongside Sergei Loznitsa’s Two Prosecutors.Dark horse contender, Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling is another major contender that could walk away with an award for writing. Also drawing attention are the latest works from Richard Linklater ( Nouvelle Vague) and Ari Aster ( Eddington).ALSO READ:The politics of the Cannes red carpetBrazilian political thriller, The Secret Agent, starring Wagner Moura, is a fronturunner for the Best Actor award, while Lynne Ramsay’s Die, My Love, starring Jennifer Lawrence, has also stirred interest for Best Actress. Ramsay’s film was one of several major acquisitions by Mubi, which has dominated this year’s distribution. The platform holds rights to at least two territories on nine of the 22 competition films, underscoring its aggressive positioning ahead of Oscar season.Other divisive titles — like Julia Ducournau’s Alpha, Oliver Laxe’s Sirat, Oliver Hermanus’ The History of Sound and Bi Gan’s Resurrection — received sharply split reviews. Past Palme winners have often emerged from polarising receptions, making these wild cards difficult to dismiss outright.ALSO READ:The true story behind Neeraj Ghaywan’s ‘Homebound’, inspired by a pandemic-era New York Times essayWith no unanimous critical favorite on the jury grid and strong festival buzz surrounding several titles, today’s awards announcement remains wide open, but the festival’s final decision is expected to influence the months ahead in the global awards circuit.Follow live updates from the awards announcement ceremony here: