2011 Cannes Film Festival


The 64th Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 May 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition. South Korean film director Bong Joon-ho was the head of the jury for the Caméra d'Or prize, which is awarded to the best first-time filmmaker. The American film The Tree of Life, directed by Terrence Malick won the Palme d'Or.
Midnight in Paris, written and directed by Woody Allen, opened the festival and Beloved, directed by Christophe Honoré and screened as out of competition, closed the festival. Mélanie Laurent hosted the opening and closing ceremonies.
Italian film director Bernardo Bertolucci was presented with the third Honorary Palme d'Or Award at the opening ceremony of the festival. Though the award had been given out sporadically in the past the Honorary Palme d'Or was supposed to presented annually after 2011. However it was not given again until the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Gus Van Sant's Restless opened the Un Certain Regard section. Jailed Iranian film directors Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof were honoured at the festival. Goodbye by Rasoulof and Panahi's This Is Not a Film was screened at the festival, and Panahi was awarded the Carrosse d'Or. Four female directors featured in the main competition: Australian Julia Leigh, Japan's Naomi Kawase, Scottish director Lynne Ramsay and France's own Maïwenn Le Besco.
Danish film director Lars von Trier caused controversy with comments he made at the press conference of his film Melancholia. When he was asked about the relation between the influences of German Romanticism in the film and his own German heritage, the director made jokes about Jews and Nazis. He said he understood Adolf Hitler and admired the work of architect Albert Speer, and jokingly announced that he was a Nazi. The Cannes Film Festival first issued an official apology for the remarks the same day and clarified that Trier is not a Nazi or an antisemite, then declared the director "persona non grata" the following day. The film remained in competition.
, 2011 Jury President
, Un Certain Regard Jury President
, Cinéfondation and short films Jury President
, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Nansun Shi, Martina Gusman, Robert De Niro, Linn Ullmann, Jude Law, Uma Thurman and Olivier Assayas

Juries

Main competition

The following people were appointed as the Jury for the feature films of the 2010 Official Selection:
The following independent jury awarded films in the frame of the International Critics' Week.
Nespresso Grand Prize

In competition - Feature films

The following feature films competed for the Palme d'Or. The Palme d'Or winner has been highlighted.

Un Certain Regard

The following films were selected for the competition of Un Certain Regard. The Un Cretain Regard Prize ex-aequo winners have been highlighted.

Out of Competition

The following films were selected to be screened out of competition:

Special screenings

The following films were shown as special screenings.

Cinéfondation

The following films were selected to be screened in the Cinéfondation section, which focuses on short films made by students at film schools. The winner of the Cinéfondation First Prize has been highlighted.

Short Films

The following short films competed for the Short Film Palme d'Or. The Short film Palme d'Or winner has been highlighted.

Cannes Classics

The following films were selected to be screened in the Cannes Classics section.

Cinéma de la Plage

The Cinéma de la Plage is a part of the Official Selection of the festival. The outdoors screenings at the beach cinema of Cannes are open to the public.

Parallel Sections

International Critics' Week

The line-up for the International Critics' Week was announced on 18 April at the section's website. Declaration of War, directed by Valérie Donzelli, and Bachelor Days Are Over, directed by Katia Lewkowicz, were selected as the opening and closing films of the Semaine de la Critique section.
Feature films
Short films
Special screenings
English titleOriginal titleDirectorCountry
Bachelor Days Are Over Pourquoi tu pleures?Katia LewkowiczFrance
Declaration of WarLa Guerre est déclaréeValérie DonzelliFrance
My Little Princess My Little PrincessEva IonescoFrance
To Die By Your SideMourir auprès de toiSpike Jonze & Simon CahnFrance
Walk Away ReneeWalk Away ReneeJonathan CaouetteUnited States, France

Directors' Fortnight

The following films were selected to be screened in the independent Directors' Fortnight section:
Feature films
Special Screenings
Short films'''

Awards

Official awards

The Palme d'Or was won by the American film The Tree of Life directed by Terrence Malick. Two of the film's producers, Bill Pohlad and Sarah Green, accepted the prize on behalf of the reclusive Malick. The Tree of Life is the first American film to win the Palme d'Or since Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004. Head of the jury, Robert De Niro, said it was difficult to choose a winner, but The Tree of Life "ultimately fit the bill". De Niro explained, "It had the size, the importance, the intention, whatever you want to call it, that seemed to fit the prize."
The following films and people received the 2011 Official selection awards:
In Competition
Un Certain Regard
Cinéfondation
Golden Camera
Short films
FIPRESCI Prizes
Vulcan Award of the Technical Artist
Ecumenical Jury
Awards in the frame of International Critics' Week
Awards in the frame of Directors' Fortnight
Association Prix François Chalais
Queer Palm
Palm Dog