The 69th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 May 2016. Australian director George Miller was the President of the Jury for the main competition. French actor Laurent Lafitte was the host for the opening and closing ceremonies. On 15 March it was announced that Japanese director Naomi Kawase would serve as the Cinéfondation and Short Film Jury president. American director Woody Allen's film Café Society opened the festival.
The Palme d'Or was awarded to the British film I, Daniel Blake directed by Ken Loach, which also served as closing film of the festival. At a press conference, Loach said that he was "quietly stunned" to win.
The films competing in the main competition section for the Palme d'Or were announced at a press conference on 14 April 2016: The Salesman, directed by Asghar Farhadi was added to the competition lineup on 22 April 2016.
The films competing in the Un Certain Regard section were announced at a press conference on 14 April 2016: Clash, directed by Mohamed Diab, has been announced as the opening film for the Un Certain Regard section. Hell or High Water, directed by David Mackenzie was added to the Un Certain Regard lineup on 22 April 2016.
The following films were selected to screen out of competition:
Midnight screeningsSpecial screeningsOut of 5,008 entries, the following films were selected to compete for the Short Film Palme d'Or.
The Cinéfondation section focuses on films made by students at film schools. The following 18 entries (14 fiction films and 4 animation films) were selected out of 2,300 submissions. More than one-third of the films selected represent schools participating in Cinéfondation for the first time. It is also the first time that a film representing Bosnian and Venezuelan film schools have been selected. More than half of the films selected were directed by women.
The full selection for the International Critics' Week section was announced on 18 April 2016, at the section's website. In Bed with Victoria, directed by Justine Triet was selected as the opening film for the International Critics' Week section, while the short films Bonne Figure, directed by Sandrine Kiberlain, En Moi, directed by Laetitia Casta, and Kitty, directed by Chloë Sevigny were selected as its closing films.
Feature filmsSpecial screeningsShort filmsThe full selection for the Directors' Fortnight section was announced on 19 April 2016, at the section's website. Sweet Dreams, directed by Marco Bellocchio was selected as the opening film for the Directors' Fortnight section and Dog Eat Dog, directed by Paul Schrader was selected as the closing film for the Directors' Fortnight section.
Feature filmsShort filmsACID, an association of French and foreign film directors, demonstrates its support for nine films each year, seeking to provide support from filmmakers to other filmmakers. The full ACID selection was announced on 19 April 2016, at the section's website.
The full line-up for the Cannes Classics section was announced on 20 April 2016.
RestorationsDocumentariesMain competition
George Miller, Australian film director (President)Arnaud Desplechin, French film directorKirsten Dunst, American actressValeria Golino, Italian actress and film directorMads Mikkelsen, Danish actorLászló Nemes, Hungarian film directorVanessa Paradis, French actress and singerKatayoon Shahabi, Iranian film producerDonald Sutherland, Canadian actorMarthe Keller, Swiss actress (President)Jessica Hausner, Austrian film directorDiego Luna, Mexican actor and film directorRuben Östlund, Swedish film directorCéline Sallette, French actressCinéfondation and short films
Naomi Kawase, Japanese film director (President)Marie-Josée Croze, Franco-Canadian actressJean-Marie Larrieu, French film directorRadu Muntean, Romanian film directorSantiago Loza, Argentine film director and playwrightCatherine Corsini, French film director and actress (President)Jean-Christophe Berjon, French film criticAlexander Rodnyansky, Ukrainian film producerIsabelle Frilley, French CEO of Titra FilmJean-Marie Dreujou, French cinematographerValérie Donzelli, French film director and actress (President)Alice Winocour, French film directorNadav Lapid, Israeli film directorDavid Robert Mitchell, American film directorSantiago Mitre, Argentine film directorGianfranco Rosi, Italian documentary film director (President)Anne Aghion, French-American documentary film directorNatacha Régnier, Belgian actressThierry Garrel, French artistic consultant and director of documentaries for Arte TVAmir Labaki, Brazilian film critic and curatorOlivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau, French film directors (Presidents)Emilie Brisavoine, French film director and actressJoão Federici, Brazilian artistic director of Festival MixBrasilMarie Sauvion, French film journalistIn CompetitionPalme d'Or – I, Daniel Blake by Ken LoachGrand Prix – It's Only the End of the World by Xavier DolanBest DirectorCristian Mungiu for GraduationOlivier Assayas for Personal ShopperBest Screenplay – Asghar Farhadi for The SalesmanBest Actress – Jaclyn Jose for Ma' RosaBest Actor – Shahab Hosseini for The SalesmanJury Prize – American Honey by Andrea ArnoldUn Certain RegardUn Certain Regard Award – The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki by Juho KuosmanenUn Certain Regard Jury Prize – Harmonium by Kōji FukadaUn Certain Regard Award for Best Director – Matt Ross for Captain FantasticUn Certain Regard Award for Best Screenplay – Delphine Coulin and Muriel Coulin for The StopoverUn Certain Regard Special Prize - The Red Turtle by Michael Dudok de WitCinéfondationFirst Prize – Anna by Or SinaiSecond Prize – In the Hills by Hamid AhmadiThird PrizeThe Noise of Licking by Nadja AndrasevThe Guilt, Probably by Michael LabarcaGolden CameraCaméra d'Or – Divines by Houda BenyaminaShort FilmsShort Film Palme d'Or – Timecode by Juanjo GiménezSpecial Mention – The Girl Who Danced with the Devil by João Paulo Miranda MariaInternational Critics' WeekNespresso Grand Prize – Mimosas by Oliver LaxeFrance 4 Visionary Award – Album by Mehmet Can MertoğluSACD Award – Diamond Island by Davy ChouLeica Cine Discovery Prize for Short Film – Prenjak by Wregas BhanutejaCanal+ Award – Birth of a Leader by Antoine de BaryGan Foundation Support for Distribution Award – One Week and a Day by Asaph PolonskyDirectors' FortnightArt Cinema Award – Wolf and Sheep by Shahrbanoo SadatSACD Award – The Together Project by Sólveig AnspachSACD special mention - Divines by Houda BenyaminaEuropa Cinemas Label Award – Mercenary by Sacha WolffIlly Prize for Short Film – Chasse Royal by Lise Akoka and Romane GueretIlly special mention – The Beast by Miroslav SikavicaFIPRESCI PrizeIn Competition – Toni Erdmann by Maren AdeUn Certain Regard – Dogs by Bogdan MiricăParallel Sections – Raw by Julia Ducournau (International Critics' Week)Ecumenical JuryPrize of the Ecumenical Jury – It's Only the End of the World by Xavier DolanCommendations:I, Daniel Blake by Ken LoachAmerican Honey by Andrea ArnoldL'Œil d'or JuryL'Œil d'or – Cinema Novo by Eryk RochaSpecial Mention – The Cinema Travelers by Shirley Abraham and Amit MadheshiyaQueer Palm JuryQueer Palm Award – The Lives of Thérèse by Sébastien LifshitzShort Film Queer Palm – Gabber Lover by Anna Cazenave CambetPalm Dog JuryPalm Dog Award – Nellie for PatersonGrand Jury Prize – Jacques for In Bed with VictoriaPalm Dog Manitarian Award – Ken Loach for showcasing a three-legged dog named Shea in I, Daniel BlakePrix François ChalaisFrançois Chalais Prize – The Student by Kirill SerebrennikovVulcan Award of the Technical ArtistVulcan Award – Ryu Seong-hie for The Handmaiden (art direction)Cannes Soundtrack AwardCliff Martinez for The Neon DemonHonorary Palme d'Or – Jean-Pierre Léaud