Caméra d'Or
Encyclopedia
The Caméra d'Or is an award of the Cannes Film Festival
for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes' selections (Official Selection, Director's Fortnight or International Critic's Week
).
The prize, created in 1978 by Gilles Jacob, is awarded during the Festival's Closing Ceremony by an independent jury.
The rules define first film as "the first feature film for theatrical screening (whatever the format; fiction, documentary or animation) of 60 minutes or more in length, by a director who has not made another film of 60 minutes or more in length and released theatrically." Directors who have previously made only student thesis films or TV films can still compete in this category. The stated aim is to reveal a film "whose qualities emphasize the need to encourage the director to undertake a second film."
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes' selections (Official Selection, Director's Fortnight or International Critic's Week
International Critic's Week
The International Critics' Week , founded in 1962 and organized by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics, is the oldest parallel competitive section of the Cannes Film Festival. It showcases first and second feature films by directors from all over the world, and has remained true to its tradition...
).
The prize, created in 1978 by Gilles Jacob, is awarded during the Festival's Closing Ceremony by an independent jury.
The rules define first film as "the first feature film for theatrical screening (whatever the format; fiction, documentary or animation) of 60 minutes or more in length, by a director who has not made another film of 60 minutes or more in length and released theatrically." Directors who have previously made only student thesis films or TV films can still compete in this category. The stated aim is to reveal a film "whose qualities emphasize the need to encourage the director to undertake a second film."
Caméra d'Or winners
| Year | Film | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | The Illegal (Alambrista!) |  Robert M. Young |
| 1979 | Northern Lights Northern Lights (1978 film) Northern Lights was a 1978 independent film which dramatizes the founding of the Nonpartisan League in North Dakota, a Socialist political movement which took place in the American Midwest in the early 1900s.... |
John Hanson John Hanson (director) John Hanson is an American movie director and cinematographer.- Early Life :Born in St. Paul, Minnesota and raised in North Dakota, John Hanson received his B.A... |
| 1980 | Adrien's Story (Histoire d'Adrien) |  Jean-Pierre DenisJean-Pierre Denis Jean-Pierre Denis is a French film director and screenwriter. He has directed six films between 1980 and 2005. His film Field of Honor was entered into the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.-Filmography:* Histoire d'Adrien... |
| 1981 | Desperado City |  Vadim GlownaVadim Glowna Vadim Glowna is a German actor and film director. He has appeared in over 150 films and television shows since 1964.He directed the 1983 film Dies rigorose Leben, which won an Honourable Mention at the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival. In 1989, he was a member of the jury at the 39th Berlin... |
| 1982 | Half a Life Half a Life (film) Half a Life is a 1982 film directed by Romain Goupil, which won the Caméra d'Or and Award of the Youth at the Cannes Film Festival, and the César Award for Best Debut.- Plot :... (Mourir à 30 ans) |
Romain Goupil |
| 1983 | The Princess (Adj király katonát) |  Pál Erdöss |
| 1984 | Stranger Than Paradise Stranger Than Paradise Stranger Than Paradise is a 1984 American absurdist/deadpan comedy film. It was written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and stars jazz musician John Lurie, former Sonic Youth drummer-turned-actor Richard Edson, and Hungarian-born actress Eszter Balint... |
Jim Jarmusch Jim Jarmusch James R. "Jim" Jarmusch is an American independent film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, editor and composer. Jarmusch has been a major proponent of independent cinema, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:... |
| 1985 | Oriane Oriana (Movie) Oriana is a 1985 Fina Torres film set in a Venezuelan hacienda or ranch. Written by Antoine Lacomblez and Torres herself, this drama tells the story of Maria, a woman that returns to the house where she spent a short time as a girl to discover some secrets about her aunt, the title character, who... (Oriana) |
 Fina TorresFina Torres Fina Torres is a Venezuelan film director. Born in Caracas, she became known by winning la Caméra d'Or award at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival with her directorial debut film, Oriana. She studied design, photography and journalism in Venezuela and later on film at the Institut des hautes études... |
| 1986 | Noir et Blanc Noir et Blanc Noir et Blanc is a 1986 French film written and directed by Claire Devers.- Cast :*Francis Frappat, Antoine*Jacques Martial, Dominique*Catherine Belkhodja, la femme de ménage*Joséphine Fresson, Edith*Benoît Régent, l'hôtelier*Marc Berman, Roland... |
Claire Devers Claire Devers Claire Devers is a French director and writer. She was nominated for the 1987 César Award for Best Debut for directing Noir et Blanc .- Filmography :*Noir et Blanc *Chimère... |
| 1987 | Robinson Crusoe in Georgia (Robinzoniada, anu chemi ingliseli Papa) |  Nana Dzhordzhadze |
| 1988 | Salaam Bombay! Salaam Bombay! Salaam Bombay! is a 1988 Hindi film directed by Mira Nair, and screenwritten by her longtime creative collaborator, Sooni Taraporevala. The film chronicles the day-to-day life of children living on the streets of Bombay... |
 Mira NairMira Nair Mira Nair is an Indian film director and producer based in New York. Her production company is Mirabai Films.She was educated at Delhi University and Harvard University. Her debut feature film, Salaam Bombay! , won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival and also earned the nomination... |
| 1989 | My 20th Century My 20th Century My 20th Century is a 1989 Hungarian comedy-drama film written and directed by Ildikó Enyedi. It premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. Enyedi won the Golden Camera award at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:... (Az én XX. századom) |
Ildikó Enyedi Ildikó Enyedi Ildikó Enyedi is an Hungarian film director and screenwriter. She has directed seven films since 1989. She won the Golden Camera award for Az én XX. századom at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. In 1992, she was a member of the jury at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival.-Filmography:* Vakond... |
| 1990 | Freeze-Die-Come to Life (Замри, умри, воскресни!) |  Vitali KanevskyVitali Kanevsky Vitali Kanevsky is a Soviet film director and screenwriter. His film Zamri, umri, voskresni! won the Caméra d'Or at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival. Two years later, his film Samostoyatelnaya zhizn would win the Jury Prize at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival... |
| 1991 | Toto the Hero (Toto le Héros) |  Jaco Van DormaelJaco Van Dormael Jaco Van Dormael is a Belgian film director, screenwriter and playwright. His complex and critically acclaimed films are especially noted for their respectful and sympathetic portrayal of people with mental and physical disabilities.- Biography :In the 1980s, he became interested in filmmaking and... |
| 1992 | Mac Mac (film) Mac is a 1992 movie co-written and directed by John Turturro. The film marks his directorial debut. The film won the Caméra d'Or award at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.-Plot:... |
John Turturro John Turturro John Michael Turturro is an American actor, writer and director known for his roles in the films Do the Right Thing , Miller's Crossing , Barton Fink , Quiz Show , The Big Lebowski , O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the Transformers film series... |
| 1993 | The Scent of Green Papaya The Scent of Green Papaya The Scent of Green Papaya is a Vietnamese-language film produced in France by Lazennec Production, and directed by Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung.... (Mùi đu đủ xanh) |
 Tran Anh HungTran Anh Hung Trần Anh Hùng is a French film director of Vietnamese ancestry.He was born in Đà Nẵng, Central Vietnam, and emigrated to France when he was 12 following the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.... |
| 1994 | Coming to Terms with the Dead (Petits arrangements avec les morts) | Pascale Ferran |
| 1995 | White Balloon White Balloon The White Balloon is a 1995 Iranian film directed by Jafar Panahi, with a screenplay by Abbas Kiarostami. It was Panahi's feature-film debut as director. The film received many strong critical reviews and won numerous awards in the international film fairs around the world including the Prix de... (بادکنک سفيد , Badkonake sefid) |
 Jafar PanahiJafar Panahi Jafar Panahi is an Iranian filmmaker and is one of the most influential filmmakers in the Iranian New Wave movement. He has gained recognition from film theorists and critics worldwide and received numerous awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the Silver Bear at the... |
| 1996 | Love Serenade Love Serenade Love Serenade is a 1996 Australian feature film directed by Shirley Barrett. It is a comedy film which has the tagline: "Two sisters will do anything to hook the right man."... |
 Shirley BarrettShirley Barrett Shirley Barrett is an Australian film director and screenwriter. Her film Love Serenade won the Caméra d'Or at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.-Filmography:* Cherith * Love Serenade * Walk the Talk... |
| 1997 | Moe no suzaku (萌の朱雀) |  Naomi Kawase |
| 1998 | Slam Slam (film) Slam is a 1998 independent film starring Saul Williams and Sonja Sohn. It tells the story of a young African-American man whose talent for poetry is hampered by his social background. It won the Grand Jury Prize for a Dramatic Film at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival.- Synopsis :Raymond Joshua is a... |
Marc Levin Marc Levin Marc Levin is an independent film producer and director. He is best known for his Brick City TV series, which won the 2010 Peabody award and was nominated for an Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking and his dramatic feature film, SLAM, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance... |
| 1999 | Throne of Death Throne of Death Marana Simhasanam is a 1999 Indian drama film in Malayalam directed by Murali Nair. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Caméra d'Or .-Plot:... (Marana Simhasanam) |
Murali Nair |
| 2000 | Djomeh Djomeh Djomeh is a 2000 Iranian drama film directed by Hassan Yektapanah. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Caméra d'Or.-Cast:* Rashid Akbari - Habib* Mahmoud Behraznia - Agha Mohmoud... |
Hassan Yektapanah Hassan Yektapanah Hassan Yektapanah is an internationally acclaimed Iranian filmmaker and screen writer.He started his career as an assistant director, first with Jafar Panahi on “The Mirror” and then on Abbas Kiarostami’s award-winning film “The Taste of Cherry” .He made his own debut as a director with Djomeh,... |
| A Time for Drunken Horses A Time for Drunken Horses A Time for Drunken Horses is a 2000 Iranian film directed by Bahman Ghobadi and produced in Iran. It was a co-winner of the Caméra d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000 .- Plot :An Iranian Kurdish family is trying to survive after the death of its parents... (زمانی برای مستی اسبها, Zamani barayé masti asbha) |
Bahman Ghobadi Bahman Ghobadi Bahman Ghobadi is an Iranian film director of Kurdish ethnicity. He was born on February 1, 1969 in Baneh, Kurdistan Province. Ghobadi belongs to the so called "new wave" of Iranian cinema.-Biography:... |
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| 2001 | Atanarjuat Atanarjuat Atanarjuat is a 2001 Canadian film directed by Zacharias Kunuk. It was the first feature film ever to be written, directed and acted entirely in Inuktitut... |
 Zacharias KunukZacharias Kunuk Zacharias Kunuk, is a Canadian Inuk producer and director most notable for his film Atanarjuat, the first Canadian dramatic feature film produced completely in Inuktitut... |
| 2002 | Seaside (Bord de mer) | Julie Lopes-Curval |
| 2003 | Reconstruction Reconstruction (2003 film) Reconstruction is the psychological romantic drama film and the debut of Christoffer Boe, who also wrote the screenplay together with Mogens Rukov... |
 Christoffer BoeChristoffer Boe Christoffer Boe is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is an established and well-known not only in Denmark, but all through the world. Among his international awards there are FIPRESCI Director of the Year at San Sebastián International Film Festival and Golden Camera at Cannes Film... |
| 2004 | Or (My Treasure) Or (My Treasure) Or is a 2004 drama film starring Dana Ivgy in the title role of Or, a teenager who struggles to be responsible for her prostitute mother Ruthie, played by Ronit Elkabetz... (Or) |
 Keren YedayaKeren Yedaya Keren Yedaya is an Israeli filmmaker. She was born in the United States, but her family moved to Israel in 1975 when she was just three. She trained at the Camera Obscura School of Art in Tel Aviv.... |
| 2005 | Me and You and Everyone We Know Me and You and Everyone We Know Me and You and Everyone We Know is a 2005 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Miranda July and stars July, John Hawkes, Miles Thompson, Brandon Ratcliff, Natasha Slayton, Najarra Townsend, Carlie Westerman, and JoNell Kennedy.-Plot:The structure of the film consists of... |
Miranda July Miranda July Miranda July is a performing artist, writer, actress and film director. Born Miranda Jennifer Grossinger, she works under the surname of "July," which can be traced to a character from a "girlzine" Miranda created with high school friend Johanna Fateman, called Snarla.- Background :Miranda... |
| The Forsaken Land The Forsaken Land The Forsaken Land is a 2005 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Vimukthi Jayasundara. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Caméra d'Or.-Cast:* Kaushalaya Fernando - Soma... (Sulanga Enu Pinisa) |
 Vimukthi JayasundaraVimukthi Jayasundara Vimukthi Jayasundara is an award winning Sri Lankan film director.-Early life:Vimukthi Jayasundara was born in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka. He was educated at Mahinda College, Galle. Vimukthi began his cinematic career as a journalist, film critic and screenwriter. He attended the Institute for Film and... |
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| 2006 | 12:08 East of Bucharest 12:08 East of Bucharest 12:08 East of Bucharest is a 2006 Romanian film directed by Corneliu Porumboiu, released in 2006 and winner of the Camera d'Or Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It was also released in the United States under the abridged titles East of Bucharest and 12:08 Bucharest... (A fost sau n-a fost?) |
 Corneliu PorumboiuCorneliu Porumboiu Corneliu Porumboiu is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. His 2006 feature 12:08 East of Bucharest won him the Camera d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival... |
| 2007 | Jellyfish Jellyfish (film) Jellyfish is a 2007 Israeli film based on a story by Shira Geffen and directed by her husband, Etgar Keret. The film tells the story of three women in Tel Aviv whose intersecting lives paint a pessimistic portrait of Israeli secular life. Batya, a waitress at weddings, comes across a mute child... (Meduzot מדוזות) |
Etgar Keret Etgar Keret Etgar Keret is an Israeli writer known for his short stories, graphic novels, and scriptwriting for film and television.-Personal Life:Keret was born in Ramat Gan, Israel in 1967. He is a third child to parents who survived the Holocaust. He lives in Tel Aviv with his wife, Shira Geffen, and... and Shira Geffen |
| 2008 | Hunger Hunger (2008 film) Hunger is a 2008 film about the 1981 Irish hunger strike. It was written by Enda Walsh and Steve R. McQueen, who also directed. It was made by Blast! Films and commissioned by Channel 4 and Film4. It premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, winning the prestigious Caméra d'Or award for... |
Steve McQueen Steve McQueen (artist) Steve Rodney McQueen CBE is a British artist and filmmaker. He is a winner of the Golden Camera at the Cannes Film Festival, a Turner Prize and BAFTA.-Early years:... |
| 2009 | Samson and Delilah Samson and Delilah (2009 film) Samson and Delilah is a 2009 Australian film and was directed by Warwick Thornton. It stars Rowan McNamara and Marissa Gibson, both young first time actors. It was filmed in and around Alice Springs... |
Warwick Thornton Warwick Thornton Warwick Thornton is an Australian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. His debut feature film, Samson and Delilah won the Caméra d'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.-Family:Thornton was born and raised in Alice Springs... |
| 2010 | Año bisiesto |  Michael Rowe |
| 2011 | Las Acacias |  Pablo Giorgelli |
Caméra d'Or — Mention Spéciale
Some years, some films that didn't win the award have received a special mention for their outstanding quality as first features in Cannes. Also called Caméra d'Or — Mention or Caméra d'Or — Mention d'honneur.| 1989 | Waller's Last Trip (Wallers letzter Gang) | Christian Wagner Christian Wagner Christian Wagner is an American film editor who has edited films such as Face/Off and Mission: Impossible II. He has been working with film director Tony Scott for 20 years.-Filmography:*Hero and the Terror *True Romance... |
| The Birth Piravi Piravi is a 1988 Malayalam feature film directed by Shaji N. Karun. It stars Premji, Archana and Lakshmi Krishnamurthy. The film's music is composed by G. Aravindan. Piravi met with widespread critical acclaim upon release... (പിറവി) |
Shaji N. Karun Shaji N. Karun Shaji Neelakantan Karun is a National Award-winning Indian film director and cinematographer. His debut film Piravi won the Caméra d'Or - Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival... |
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| 1990 | A Time of Debts (Cas dluhu) | Irena Pavlásková |
| Farendj Farendj Farendj is a 1990 French drama film directed by Sabine Prenczina and starring Tim Roth, Marie Matheron and Matthias Habich.... |
Sabine Prenczina | |
| 1991 | Proof Proof (1991 film) Proof is a 1991 Australian film by Jocelyn Moorhouse starring Hugo Weaving, Geneviève Picot and Russell Crowe. It was chosen as "Best Film" at the 1991 Australian Film Institute Awards, along with 5 other awards, including Moorhouse for "Best Director", Weaving for "Best Leading Actor", and Crowe... |
Jocelyn Moorhouse Jocelyn Moorhouse Jocelyn Denise Moorhouse is an Australian writer and film director born in Victoria, Australia on 4 September 1960.Moorhouse did her HSC year in 1978 at Vermont High School, which is the same high school that Gillian Armstrong attended a few years earlier. She went on to direct films such as Proof,... |
| Sam & Me | Deepa Mehta Deepa Mehta Deepa Mehta, LLD is a Genie Award-winning Indian-born Canadian film director and screenwriter, most known for her Elements Trilogy, Fire , Earth , and Water , among which Earth was submitted by Indian government for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film... |
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| 1993 | Friends Friends (1993 film) Friends is a 1993 South African drama film directed by Elaine Proctor. It was entered into the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Caméra d'Or Special Distinction.-Cast:* Kerry Fox - Sophie* Dambisa Kente - Thoko* Michele Burgers - Aninka... |
Elaine Proctor Elaine Proctor Elaine Proctor is a South African film director, screenwriter and actress. Her film Friends was entered into the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Caméra d'Or Special Distinction.-Filmography:* Sharpeville Spirit... |
| 1994 | The Silences of the Palace (Samt el qusur) | Moufida Tlatli Moufida Tlatli Moufida Tlatli is a Tunisian film director. She was the first Arab woman to direct a full featured-film in the Arab World.- Biography :She was born in Sidi Bou Saïd suburb of the capital Tunis in 1947... |
| 1995 | Denise Calls Up Denise Calls Up Denise Calls Up is an American Independent film released by Sony Pictures Classics in 1996. Written and directed by Hal Salwen, it is a comedy.-Synopsis:... |
Hal Salwen Hal Salwen Hal Salwen is an American independent filmmaker best known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed Denise Calls Up , notable for being the only American film to win a prize that year at the Cannes Film Festival.... |
| 1997 | The Life of Jesus (La Vie de Jésus La vie de Jésus La vie de Jésus is the 1997 debut feature film by director Bruno Dumont. It was the winner of the prestigious BFI Sutherland Trophy, Camera d’Or at Cannes, the Prix Jean Vigo and European Discovery of the Year at the European Film Awards.-Controversy:Dumont included extreme close-ups of... ) |
Bruno Dumont Bruno Dumont Bruno Dumont is a French film director. To date, he has directed five feature films, all of which border somewhere between realistic drama and the avant-garde. His films have won several awards at the Cannes Film Festival. Two of Dumont's films have won the Grand Prix award: both L'Humanité and... |
| 2002 | Japón Japón (film) Japón is the 2002 debut film of the Mexican director Carlos Reygadas.- Plot :The film follows a man going through an acute existential crisis. He leaves Mexico City to go to camp and prepare for his death, staying with an old Indian widow in her ramshackle home overlooking a desolate canyon... |
Carlos Reygadas Carlos Reygadas Carlos Reygadas is a Mexican filmmaker known for his three films Batalla en el Cielo, Japón and Silent Light . After Batalla en el Cielo, he was known for his raw depiction of sex in his films and the use of old or ugly-seeming characters... |
| 2003 | Osama Osama (film) Osama is a 2003 film made in Afghanistan by Siddiq Barmak. It is about a girl living in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime who disguises herself as a boy, Osama, to support her family. It was the first film to be shot entirely in Afghanistan since 1996, when the Taliban régime banned the... (أسامة) |
Siddiq Barmak Siddiq Barmak Siddiq Barmak in Panjshir, Afghanistan, is a film director and producer. He received an M.A degree in cinema direction from the Moscow Film Institute in 1987.He has written a few screenplays and has made a few short films... |
| 2004 | Passages Passages (film) Passages is a 2004 Chinese drama film directed by Yang Chao. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Caméra d'Or Mention Spéciale prize.-Plot:... (Lu Cheng) |
Yang Chao |
| Bitter Dream (Khab-e talkh) | Mohsen Amiryoussefi Mohsen Amiryoussefi Mohsen Amiryoussefi is a critically acclaimed Iranian film director and screenwriter.He belongs to the third generation of Iranian "New wave".-Notes:... |
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| 2007 | Control | Anton Corbijn Anton Corbijn Anton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, music video and film director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, having handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both for more than a decade... |
| 2008 | Vse umrut, a ya ostanus (Everybody Dies but Me) | Valeriya Gai Germanika |
| 2009 | Ajami Ajami (film) Ajami is a 2009 Arab/Jewish collaboration drama film. Its plot is set in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa.-Overview:Written and directed by Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani , Ajami explores five different stories set in an actual impoverished Christian-and-Muslim Arab neighborhood of the Tel... |
Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani |