The Best Screenplay Award () is an award presented by the Jury to the best screenwriter for their work on a film of the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival.

Its most recent winner was Emmanuel Marre for A Man of His Time at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.

History It was first awarded to Alfred L. Werker, & for Lost Boundaries (1949).

Winners Denys Arcand for The Barbarian Invasions (2003), & for (2021) and Coralie Fargeat for The Substance were later nominated Academy Awards for their screenplays.

To date, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne are the only people to have won the award twice, having won it in 2007 for Lorna's Silence and in 2025 for Young Mothers.

Winners

1940s Year Screenwriter(s) English Title 1949 , and

1950s Year Screenwriter(s) English Title Original Title 1951 1952 Guardie e ladri 1958 , and Giovani mariti

1960s Year Screenwriter(s) English TitleOriginal Title 1963 , and 1965 La 317ème section 1967 Jeu de massacre A ciascuno il suo

1970s Year Screenwriter(s) English Title 1974 , and

1980s Year Screenwriter(s) English Title Original Title 1980 , and 1981 1982 1984 , and Ταξίδι στα Κύθηρα

1990s Year Screenwriter(s) English Title Original Title 1994 1996 and Un héros très discret 1997 1998 1999 Молох

2000s Year Screenwriter(s) English Title Original Title 2000 and 2001 Ničija zemlja / Ничија земља 2002 2003 Les Invasions barbares 2004 and Comme une image 2005 2006 2007 Auf der anderen Seite 2008 Le Silence de Lorna 2009 春風沉醉的夜晚

2010s Year Screenwriter(s) English Title Original Title 2010 시 2011 הערת שוליים 2012 and După dealuri 2013 天注定 2014 and Левиафан 2015 2016 فروشنده 2017 and 2018 and سه رخ Lazzaro felice 2019 Portrait de la jeune fille en feu

2020s Year Screenwriter(s) English Title Original Title 2021 and Cannes Film Festival 2021: The List of Winners – Forbesドライブ・マイ・カー 2022 Cannes Film Festival 2022 Winners: Full List – Variety صبي من الجنة 2023 Cannes 2023 Awards: Full Winners List – The Hollywood Reporter怪物 2024 Coralie FargeatThe SubstanceSean Baker's 'Anora' Wins Palme d'Or at 2024 Cannes Film Festival: See the Full Winners List|Academy.orgMeet the 77th Festival winners – Festival de Cannes 2025 Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne Young Mothers Jeunes mères2026Emmanuel MarreA Man of His TimeNotre Salut

See also Silver Bear for Best Screenplay Venice Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay

References

Notes

A: This year the award received the name Prix du scénario original (Original Screenplay Award). B: This year the award received the name Prix du scénario et des dialogues au Festival International du Film (Screenplay and Dialogues Award). C: This year the award received the name Prix du meilleur scénario original (Best Original Screenplay Award).

External links Cannes Film Festival Official Website Cannes Film Festival at IMDB .