As the Cannes Film Festival kicks off on 8 May, we look at some key events in its history, from the only female director to bag the Palme d’Or to the decision to ban red-carpet selfie
1993
Kiwi director Jane Campion wins the Palme d’Or for her film The Piano, starring Holly Hunter and Anna Paquin. She remains the only female director to win this award.
2013
Singapore enjoys its first taste of Cannes glory as director Anthony Chen wins the Caméra d’Or for Ilo Ilo, his debut feature film about a Singaporean family and their domestic helper.
2015
A few women wearing flats are turned away from a screening of Carol for violating the “high heels only” dress code. The next year, Julia Roberts walks the red carpet barefoot.
2017
Okja and The Meyerowitz Stories, two Netflix films only released on the streaming service, appear in competition. At the premiere of Okja, though, audiences boo.
2018
No film can compete for the Palme d’Or without the commitment of a French theatrical release, effectively banning Netflix. Red-carpet selfies are also banned.
Find out more about the Cannes Film Festival here.
SEE ALSO: Interview: Inside the surreal world of film director Kirsten Tan
This article was originally published in the May 2018 issue of SilverKris magazine.
