The Greatest Showman #1361 – Closing Rumors

"I think the Palme d'Or is definitely going to Adele's Life."

"No, no, according to Spielberg's preferences, it has to be Drunken Country Ballads. He's a director who knows how to weave dreams. How could he give up Drunken Country Ballads? It's practically the standard in his mind for the Palme d'Or!"

"Why do I feel like it's all about 'father and son'? I mean, is Hirokazu Kore-eda's whole team back? They've all arrived at the airport. Spielberg and Ang Lee both seem drawn to family-themed works. And I think Naomi Kawase will likely go for this one too. The odds just shot up."

"But what about Drunken Country Ballads and Adele's Life? What's going on with them?"

"In Adele's case, it might be the Jury Prize; and for Le Verne, maybe Best Actor?"

"No, no, I don't think so. I heard the Nebraska crew is back. Maybe they won Best Actor, and then Drunken Country Ballads could still win the Palme d'Or or the Jury Award."

"Is that even possible? Bruce Dern from Nebraska is great, but he's no Renly, right? If that happens, it's such a letdown. People will be disappointed. God!"

"This is Cannes. Winning Best Actor here isn't as important as participating in the Palme d'Or, okay? Drunken Country Ballads winning the Palme d'Or makes sense. Renly doesn't need those awards to prove his excellence. I'd actually be happier if it was the Coen brothers winning the Palme d'Or—it would mean that Renly is finally in a top-tier, award-winning work, not just recognized for his acting!"

"Wait, didn't I hear that the Venus in Furs crew is coming back? It seems like they might win the Grand Prize! Roman Polanski's on his way back too. If he's here for the Palme d'Or, that's telling, isn't it?"

The room erupted in noise.

"What? Roman?" "No way!" "If it's Roman, that's crazy!" "Steve won't approve, right? The US stance on Roman has always been clear." "My God, Roman? This is outrageous!" "What's going on? This is outrageous!"

Emily widened her eyes in disbelief but couldn't help but laugh at the lively debate around her.

It was the last day of the 66th Cannes Film Festival. No films were released today. Everyone was waiting eagerly for the closing ceremony and awards later that evening.

The Palme d'Or was about to be revealed, and this was undeniably the most thrilling part of the festival. Unlike the long, drawn-out Oscars season where awards are gradually announced, Cannes is known for its unpredictability. With just twelve days and the jury system, the outcome is always a mystery, heightening the excitement.

Emily had arrived early at the official media center. Surrounded by journalists, she awaited the evening's closing ceremony while receiving updates about the one-of-a-kind attention unit and the Fabisi Film Critics Award. The buzz around the awards stirred her anticipation, and the adrenaline was starting to build.

The media center was selected over the red carpet scene at the Palais des Festivals for a few reasons. First, the red carpet was the domain of the directors of photography, crowded with stars, and buzzing with activity. Journalists, however, were seated with their documents—white, pink, and dotted—with the main advantage of being able to get the latest news updates immediately. This gave a sense of greater involvement.

Just moments ago, the center was alive with gossip about the Palme d'Or, and in that atmosphere, it felt like they were eavesdropping on the jury's private deliberations. It was thrilling.

For those unfamiliar with the process, it might seem puzzling how such rumors and gossip surrounding the awards emerge. The answer lies in the structure of the Cannes Film Festival.

Over the past two decades, the awards for the main competition unit at Cannes have evolved to stay current with the times. In 1991, a jury led by Roman Polanski awarded the Palme d'Or, Best Director, and Best Actor all to Barton Fink, which sparked strong dissatisfaction. This led to the introduction of an official rule stating that each film could only win one major award, unless paired with a performance award (e.g., Palme d'Or and Best Actor).

However, this rule was broken three times:

In 1999, David Cronenberg's jury awarded the Jury Prize, Best Actor, and Best Actress to Man, Sex/Essence/Color by Bruno Dumont.In 2001, Liv Ullmann's jury awarded the Grand Jury Prize, Best Actor, and Best Actress to Michael Haneke's Piano Teacher.In 2003, Patrice Chéreau controversially awarded both the Palme d'Or and Best Director to Gus Van Sant's Elephant, causing an uproar.

After 2003, Cannes instituted a more rigid rule: Only one award could have a tied double yolk, and it could not be the Palme d'Or. Films could win multiple awards only if the award was Best Screenplay or the Jury Award (third place), but this needed approval from the festival president.

This rule ensured that, of the seven awards in the main competition, at least six films would win, with a maximum of eight films able to take home an award.

Now, you may wonder: where do the rumors about the closing ceremony come from?

The process is similar to the Berlin Film Festival. On the last day of Cannes, the jury gathers at a secluded sea-view estate near the city, where all their phones and computers are confiscated, and contact with the outside world is forbidden until the awards are decided.

Typically, the jury begins deliberations in the morning, with decisions made by noon so that the winners can be notified in time. If a Palme d'Or winner cannot attend to accept the award, the organizers prefer to have someone from the crew accept the trophy on their behalf.

In 2004, Liu Leyoumi won the Best Actor Award with Nobody Knows, but was unable to attend the ceremony due to returning to Japan early. The director, Hirokazu Kore-eda, accepted the award in her place, though it was still somewhat awkward given the circumstances.

This situation has become increasingly common at film festivals like Venice, where North American crews often rush to Toronto for a second promotional round, leaving winners unable to attend. This results in many award categories, particularly for actors, lacking representatives at the ceremony.

Cannes and Berlin want to avoid this scenario, of course, but it still happens.

When the jury begins notifying winners, they don't reveal specific awards to avoid spoilers or awkward situations, such as telling a crew member that they've only won a third-place Jury Prize, only for them to travel back just for that.

So, where do the rumors come from? From the very process of notifying winners. When an actor, director, or writer receives such news, they might share it with their agent, producer, or PR team. They could tell their family or friends, or even other crew members. And sometimes, people close to them—like travel agents, hotel staff, or airport personnel—might unintentionally leak information.

Soon enough, journalists, with their vast networks, begin piecing together bits of information, and a general outline of the award results starts to take shape. As a result, the media center is often much better informed than the red carpet scene.

For most reporters, being in the media center during the closing ceremony was far more exciting than being on the red carpet.