The 50th Cannes Film Festival took place from 7 to 18 May 1997. French actress Isabelle Adjani served as jury president for the main competition. Jeanne Moreau hosted the opening and closing ceremonies.
The Palme d'Or was jointly awarded to Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami for the drama film Taste of Cherry and to Japanese filmmaker Shōhei Imamura for the drama film The Eel.
The festival opened with The Fifth Element by Luc Besson, and closed with Absolute Power by Clint Eastwood.
Juries Main competition Isabelle Adjani, French actress - Jury President Paul Auster, American filmmaker Luc Bondy, Swiss director Tim Burton, American filmmaker Patrick Dupond, French dancer and artistic director Gong Li, Chinese actress Mike Leigh, British filmmaker Nanni Moretti, Italian filmmaker Michael Ondaatje, Canadian author Mira Sorvino, American actress
Caméra d'Or Françoise Arnol, French actress - Jury President Luciano Barisone, Italian film critic Olivier Brunet-Lefebvre, French cinephile Julien Camy, French cinephile Ulrich Gregor, German cinema historian Gérard Lenne, French film critic Jiří Menzel, Czech filmmaker Nicolas Philibert, French filmmaker
Official selection In Competition The following feature films competed for the Palme d'Or: English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryAssassin(s)Mathieu KassovitzFranceThe Banned WomanPhilippe HarelThe BraveJohnny DeppUnited StatesThe EelShōhei ImamuraJapanThe End of ViolenceWim WendersUnited StatesFunny GamesMichael HanekeAustriaHappy TogetherWong Kar-waiHong KongThe Ice StormAng LeeUnited StatesKini and AdamsIdrissa OuédraogoBurkina Faso, FranceL.A. ConfidentialCurtis HansonUnited StatesNil by MouthGary OldmanUnited Kingdom, FranceThe Prince of HomburgMarco BellocchioItalyThe Serpent's KissPhilippe RousselotUnited KingdomShe's So LovelyNick CassavetesUnited StatesThe Sweet HereafterAtom EgoyanCanadaTaste of CherryAbbas KiarostamiIranThe TruceFrancesco RosiItalyWelcome to Sarajevo Michael WinterbottomUnited Kingdom, United StatesThe WellSamantha LangAustraliaWesternManuel PoirierFrance
Un Certain Regard The following films were selected for the Un Certain Regard section: English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production country12 StoreysEric KhooSingaporeA, B, C... ManhattanAmir NaderiUnited StatesAfter SexBrigitte RoüanFranceAmerican PerfektPaul ChartUnited StatesBrotherAleksei BalabanovRussiaAlejandro AgrestiArgentinaEast Palace, West PalaceZhang YuanChinaGudiaGautam GhoseIndiaJean-Luc GodardFrance, SwitzerlandThe HouseŠarūnas BartasLithuania, FranceIn the Company of MenNeil LaButeUnited StatesInside/OutRob TregenzaJourney on a Clock HandÖmer KavurTurkeyLove and Death on Long IslandRichard KwietniowskiUnited Kingdom, CanadaLucky StarRicardo FrancoSpain, France, ItalyMarcello Mastroianni: I RememberAnna Maria TatòItalyMarius and JeannetteRobert GuédiguianFranceMrs BrownJohn MaddenUnited KingdomPrivate ConfessionsLiv UllmannSwedenSunday Jonathan NossiterUnited StatesWind Echoing in My BeingJeon Soo-ilSouth KoreaThe Witman BoysJános SzászHungary
Out of Competition The following films were selected to be screened out of competition: English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryAbsolute Power (closing film)Clint EastwoodUnited StatesThe BlackoutAbel FerraraDestinyYoussef ChahineEgypt, FranceThe Fifth Element (opening film)Luc BessonFranceHamletKenneth BranaghUnited Kingdom, United StatesMichael Jackson's Ghosts (short)Stan WinstonUnited StatesNirvana Gabriele SalvatoresItalyVoyage to the Beginning of the WorldManoel de OliveiraFrance, PortugalWelcome to Woop WoopStephan ElliottAustralia
Short Films Competition The following short films competed for the Short Film Palme d'Or:
by Ayelet Bargur Camera obscura by Stefano Arduino Final Cut by Justin Case ...Is It the Design on the Wrapper? () by Tessa Sheridan Joe by Sasha Wolf Leonie by Lieven Debrauwer Over The Rainbow by Alexandre Aja by Emmanuelle Bercot
Parallel sections International Critics' Week The following films were screened for the 36th International Critics' Week (36e Semaine de la Critique):
Feature film competition
Junk Mail () by Pål Sletaune (Norway) Mother of the Dunes () by Abdoulaye Ascofaré (Mali) This World, Then the Fireworks by Michael Oblowitz (United States) by Franco Bernini (Italy) Character () by Mike van Diem (Netherlands) Bent by Sean Mathias (United Kingdom) Insomnia by Erik Skjoldbjærg (Norway)
Short film competition
The Signalman () by Benoît Mariage (Belgium) Marylou by Todd Kurtzman & Danny Shorago (United States) by Ariel Gordon (Mexico) Tunnel of Love by Robert Milton Wallace (United Kingdom) by Ramón Barea (Spain) by João Maia (Portugal) by Jean Darrigol (France)
Directors' Fortnight The following films were screened for the 1997 Directors' Fortnight (Quinzaine des Réalizateurs):
by Gaston Kaboré Cosmos by André Turpin, Arto Paragamian, Denis Villeneuve, Jennifer Alleyn, Manon Briand, Marie-Julie Dallaire by Mohamed Camara by Ferzan Ozpetek I Hate Love () by Laurence Ferreira Barbosa Kicked In The Head by Matthew Harrison Kissed by Lynne Stopkewich by Dominique Cabrera The Good Life () by David Trueba by Bruno Dumont by Jean-François Richet by Alain Berliner Murmur of Youth by Lin Cheng-sheng The Perfect Circle () by Ademir Kenović The Power of the Skirt () by Adama Drabo A Friend of the Deceased by Viacheslav Kryshtofovych by Claire Simon My Son the Fanatic by Udayan Prasad Suzaku by Naomi Kawase Train of Shadows () by José Luis Guerin by Sylvie Verheyde
Short films
by Jean-Luc Gaget by Thomas Bardinet by Marco Castilla by Jean-Marc Moutout by Djamel Bensalah
Official Awards
In Competition Palme d'Or: Taste of Cherry by Abbas Kiarostami The Eel by Shōhei Imamura Grand Prize of the Jury: The Sweet Hereafter by Atom Egoyan Best Director: Wong Kar-wai for Happy Together Best Screenplay: The Ice Storm by James Schamus Best Actress: Kathy Burke for Nil by Mouth Best Actor: Sean Penn for She's So Lovely Jury Prize: Western by Manuel Poirier 50th Anniversary Prize: Youssef Chahine (Lifetime Achievement Award) Palm of the Palms: Ingmar Bergman
Caméra d'Or Suzaku by Naomi Kawase Special Mention: by Bruno Dumont
Short Film Palme d'Or ...Is It the Design on the Wrapper? by Tessa Sheridan Jury Prize: Leonie by Lieven Debrauwer by Emmanuelle Bercot
Independent Awards
FIPRESCI Prizes The Sweet Hereafter by Atom Egoyan (In competition) Voyage to the Beginning of the World by Manoel de Oliveira (Out of competition)
Commission Supérieure Technique Technical Grand Prize: Thierry Arbogast (cinematography) in She's So Lovely and The Fifth Element
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury The Sweet Hereafter by Atom Egoyan Special Mention: Lucky Star by Ricardo Franco Voyage to the Beginning of the World by Manoel de Oliveira
Award of the Youth Foreign Film: Bent by Sean Mathias French Film: I Hate Love by Laurence Ferreira Barbosa
International Critics' Week Mercedes-Benz Award: Junk Mail by Pål Sletaune Canal+ Award: The Signalman by Benoît Mariage
François Chalais Award The Perfect Circle by Ademir Kenović
References
Media INA: Climbing of the steps for the opening of the 1997 Festival (commentary in French) INA: List of winners of the 1997 festival (commentary in French)
External links
1997 Cannes Film Festival (web.archive) Official website Retrospective 1997 Cannes Film Festival Awards 1997 at Internet Movie Database