The 31st Cannes Film Festival took place from 16 to 30 May 1978. American filmmaker Alan J. Pakula served as jury president for the main competition.
Italian filmmaker Ermanno Olmi won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, for the drama film The Tree of Wooden Clogs.
This festival saw the introduction of a new section, the Un Certain Regard, initially as a non-competitive programme which replaced the Les Yeux Fertiles (1975-1977), L'Air du temps and Le Passé composé sections.
The festival opened with A Hunting Accident by Emil Loteanu, and closed with Fedora by Billy Wilder.
Juries
Main Competition Alan J. Pakula, American filmmaker - Jury President Franco Brusati, Italian filmmaker François Chalais, French reporter, journalist, writer and film historian Michel Ciment, French film critic Claude Goretta, Swiss filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky, Soviet filmmaker Harry Saltzman, Canadian producer Liv Ullmann, Norwegian actress Georges Wakhévitch, French art director
Official selection In Competition The following feature films competed for the Palme d'Or: English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryBlindfolded EyesLos ojos vendadosCarlos SauraSpainBravo maestroRajko GrlićYugoslaviaBye Bye MonkeyCiao maschioMarco FerreriItaly, FranceThe Chant of Jimmie BlacksmithFred SchepisiAustraliaComing HomeHal AshbyUnited StatesDespairRainer Werner FassbinderWest GermanyA Dream of PassionΚραυγή ΓυναικώνJules DassinGreece, SwitzerlandEcce bomboNanni MorettiItalyEmpire of Passion愛の亡霊Nagisa ŌshimaFrance, JapanA Hunting Accident (opening film)Мой ласковый и нежный зверьEmil LoteanuSoviet UnionThe Left-Handed WomanDie linkshändige FrauPeter HandkeWest GermanyMidnight ExpressAlan ParkerUnited Kingdom, United StatesMolièreAriane MnouchkineFrancePretty BabyLouis MalleUnited StatesThe Recourse to the MethodEl recurso del métodoMiguel LittinMexico, CubaThe Remains from the ShipwreckLos restos del naufragioRicardo FrancoSpainThe ShoutJerzy SkolimowskiUnited KingdomSpiralSpiralaKrzysztof ZanussiPolandThe Tree of Wooden ClogsL'albero degli zoccoliErmanno OlmiItalyAn Unmarried WomanPaul MazurskyUnited StatesA Very Moral NightEgy erkölcsös éjszakaKároly MakkHungaryViolette NozièreClaude ChabrolFrance, CanadaWho'll Stop the RainKarel ReiszUnited States
Un Certain Regard The following films were selected for the Un Certain Regard section: English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryAlyam, alyamآليام آليامAhmed El MaanouniMoroccoBalcony in the ForestUn balcon en forêtMichel MitraniFranceDossier 51Le dossier 51Michel DevilleColonel Delmiro GouveiaCoronel Delmiro GouveiaGeraldo SarnoBrazilGrand Hôtel des PalmesMemè PerliniItalyHitler: A Film from GermanyHitler, ein Film aus DeutschlandHans-Jürgen SyberbergWest Germany, France, United KingdomKoko: A Talking GorillaKoko, le gorille qui parleBarbet SchroederFranceMan of MarbleCzłowiek z marmuruAndrzej WajdaPolandNahapetՆահապետHenrik MalyanSoviet UnionThe New Klan: Heritage of HateLeslie Shatz and Eleanor BinghamUnited StatesOcaña, an Intermittent PortraitOcaña, retrato intermitenteVentura PonsSpainPeople Not as Bad as They SeemAika hyvä ihmiseksiRauni MollbergFinlandDie Rückkehr des alten HerrnVojtěch JasnýAustria
Out of Competition The following films were selected to be screened out of competition: English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryFedora (closing film)Billy WilderWest Germany, FranceThe Last Waltz Martin ScorseseUnited States
Short Films Competition The following short films competed for the Short Film Palme d'Or:
Christmas Morning by Tiernan MacBride A Doonesbury Special by John Hubley Letter to a Friend by Sonia Hofmann Maladie by Paul Vecchiali Oh My Darling by Børge Ring The Oriental Nightfish by Ian Emes Le Serpentine d'oro by Anna Maria Tatò La Traversée de l'Atlantique à la rame by Jean-François Laguionie Uj lakok by Liviusz Gyulai
Parallel sections International Critics' Week The following feature films were screened for the 17th International Critics' Week (17e Semaine de la Critique): Alambrista! by Robert Young (United States) A Breach in the Wall (Une Brèche dans le mur) by Jillali Ferhati (Morocco) Fragrance of Wild Flowers (Miris poljskog cveca) by Srđan Karanović (Yugoslavia) Jubilee by Derek Jarman (United Kingdom) One and One (En och en) by Erland Josephson, Sven Nykvist & Ingrid Thulin (Sweden) Roberte by Robert Zucca (France) This Is the Night (Per questa notte) by Carlo di Carlo (Italy) (Die Frau gegenüber) by Hans Noever (West Germany)
Directors' Fortnight The following films were screened for the 1978 Directors' Fortnight (Quinzaine des Réalizateurs):
Alicia en la España de las maravillas by Jordi Feliu Bilbao by Bigas Luna Fine Manners (Les belles manières) by Jean-Claude Guiguet Gamín by Ciro Duran The Getting of Wisdom by Bruce Beresford Girlfriends by Claudia Weill by Reinhard Hauff Los Hijos de Fierro by Fernando Solanas The Holy Alliance (A Santa Aliança) by Eduardo Geada Insiang by Lino Brocka The Mafu Cage by Karen Arthur Mother and Daughter (Maternale) by Giovanna Gagliardo Oka Oori Katha by Mrinal Sen One and One (En och en) by Erland Josephson, Sven Nykvist, Ingrid Thulin (El regno di Napoli) by Werner Schroeter Renaldo and Clara by Bob Dylan Rocking Horse (Susetz) by Yaky Yosha The Scenic Route by Mark Rappaport A Summer Rain (Chuvas de Verão) by Carlos Diegues I Vecchi e I Giovani by Marco Leto Zoo Zéro by Alain Fleischer
Official Awards
In Competition The following films and people received the 1978 Official selection awards: Palme d'Or: The Tree of Wooden Clogs by Ermanno Olmi Grand Prix: Bye Bye Monkey by Marco Ferreri The Shout by Jerzy Skolimowski Best Director: Nagisa Ōshima for Empire of Passion Best Actress: Jill Clayburgh for An Unmarried Woman Isabelle Huppert for Violette Nozière Best Actor: Jon Voight for Coming Home
Caméra d'Or Alambrista! by Robert M. Young
Short Film Palme d'Or Rowing Across the Atlantic by Jean-François Laguionie Jury Prize: A Doonesbury Special by John Hubley, Faith Hubley and Garry Trudeau Oh My Darling by Børge Ring
Independent awards
FIPRESCI Prize Man of Marble by Andrzej Wajda (Un Certain Regard - Unanimously) Fragrance of Wild Flowers by Srdjan Karanovic (International Critics' Week)
Commission Supérieure Technique Technical Grand Prize: Pretty Baby by Louis Malle
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury The Tree of Wooden Clogs by Ermanno Olmi
Cultural references Michael Ritchie's 1979 film An Almost Perfect Affair, a romantic comedy starring Keith Carradine and Monica Vitti, features several scenes shot on location in Cannes while the 1978 Festival was taking place. A number of prominent actors, directors and journalists who attended that year made cameo appearances in the film, including Rona Barrett, Farrah Fawcett, Brooke Shields, George Peppard, Paul Mazursky, Sergio Leone, Marco Ferreri, Rex Reed and Edy Williams."AFI Catalog of Feature Films: 'An Almost Perfect Affair' (1979)". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
References
Media INA: Opening of the 1978 Festival (commentary in French) INA: Chronicle of the 1978 Cannes Festival (commentary in French)
External links 1978 Cannes Film Festival (web.archive) Official website Retrospective 1978 Cannes Film Festival Awards for 1978 at Internet Movie Database