The 39th Cannes Film Festival took place from 8 to 19 May 1986. American filmmaker Sydney Pollack served as jury president for the main competition. British filmmaker Roland Joffé won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, for the drama film The Mission.
The festival opened with Pirates by Roman Polanski, and closed with El amor brujo by Carlos Saura.
Juries Main competition Sydney Pollack, American filmmaker, producer, and actor - Jury President Charles Aznavour, French-Armenian musician Sônia Braga, Brazilian actress Lino Brocka, Filipino filmmaker Tonino Delli Colli, Italian cinematographer Philip French, English film critic and producer Alexandre Mnouchkine, French-Russian producer István Szabó, Hungarian filmmaker Danièle Thompson, French filmmaker Alexandre Trauner, Hungarian-French production designer
Camera d'Or Anne Fichelle - Jury President Christophe Ghristi, cinephile Lawrence Kardish cinephile Serge Leroy, French filmmaker Pierre Murat, film critic Ivan Starcevic, journalist Eva Zaoralova, journalist
Official selection
In Competition The following feature films competed for the Palme d'Or: English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryAfter HoursMartin ScorseseUnited StatesBoris GodunovБорис ГодуновSergei BondarchukSoviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, West GermanyEvening DressTenue de soiréeBertrand BlierFranceDown by LawJim JarmuschUnited StatesThe Fringe DwellersBruce BeresfordAustraliaFool for LoveRobert AltmanUnited StatesGenesisMrinal SenIndiaI Love You Marco FerreriFrance, ItalyThe Last Imageالصور الأخيرMohammed Lakhdar-HaminaAlgeriaLove Me Forever or NeverEu Sei Que Vou Te AmarArnaldo JaborBrazilMax, My LoveNagisa ŌshimaFrance, United States, JapanThe MissionRoland JofféUnited KingdomMona LisaNeil JordanUnited KingdomOtello Franco ZeffirelliItaly, NetherlandsPoor ButterflyPobre mariposaRaúl de la TorreArgentinaRosa LuxemburgMargarethe von TrottaWest GermanyRunaway TrainAndrei KonchalovskyUnited StatesThe SacrificeOffretAndrei TarkovskySweden, United Kingdom, FranceScene of the CrimeLe lieu du crimeAndré TéchinéFranceThérèse Alain Cavalier
Un Certain Regard The following films were selected for the Un Certain Regard section: English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryA Girl's Own StoryJane CampionAustraliaBacklashBill BennettBelizaire the CajunGlen PitreUnited StatesBurke & Wills Graeme CliffordAustraliaComing Up RosesRhosyn a RhithStephen BaylyUnited KingdomDas zweite Schraube-FragmentWalter Andreas ChristenAustriaDesert BloomEugene CorrUnited StatesLaputa Helma Sanders-BrahmsWest GermanyMan of Ashesريح السدNouri BouzidTunisiaPassionless MomentsJane Campion and Gerard LeeAustraliaA Promise人間の約束Yoshishige YoshidaJapanThe Pied PiperKrysařJiří BartaCzechoslovakia, West GermanyRicochetsשתי אצבעות מצידוןEli CohenIsraelSalomè Claude d'AnnaItaly, FranceSunrise日出Yu Benzheng ChinaTwo FriendsJane CampionAustraliaThe Unknown SoldierTuntematon sotilasRauni MollbergFinlandWelcome in ViennaWohin und zurück - Teil 3: Welcome in ViennaAxel CortiAustriaWhere Are You Going?За къде пътувате?Rangel VulchanovBulgaria
Out of Competition The following films were selected to be screened out of competition: English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryAbsolute BeginnersJulien TempleUnited KingdomEl amor brujo (closing film) Carlos SauraSpainThe Color PurpleSteven SpielbergUnited StatesDon Quixote (unfinished) Orson WellesSpain, Italy, United StatesHannah and Her SistersWoody AllenUnited StatesA Matter of Life and Death (1946)Michael Powell and Emeric PressburgerUnited KingdomA Man and a Woman: 20 Years LaterUn homme et une femme: Vingt ans déjàClaude LelouchFrancePirates (opening film) Roman PolanskiFrance, Tunisia, PolandPrecious Images (short)Chuck WorkmanUnited StatesYou've Got Beautiful Stairs, You Know (short)T'as de beaux escaliers tu saisAgnès VardaFrance
Short Films Competition The following short films competed for the Short Film Palme d'Or:
15-Août by Nicole Garcia (France) Heiduque by Y. Katsap, L. Gorokhov (Russia) A Gentle Spirit (Lagodna) by Piotr Dumala Le Vent by Csaba Varga Les Petites Magiciennes by Vincent Mercier, Yves Robert (France) Les Petits Coins by Pascal Aubier Miroir d'ailleurs by Willy Kempeneers Nouilles Sèches (Dry Noodles) by Dan Collins Peel by Jane Campion (Australia) Question d'optiques by Claude Luyet Quinoscopio by Juan Padron Street of Crocodiles by Brothers Quay Turbo Concerto by Martin Barry
Parallel sections International Critics' Week The following feature films were screened for the 25th International Critics' Week (25e Semaine de la Critique):
40 Square Meters of Germany (40 Quadratmeter Deutschland) by Tevfik Baser (West Germany) Devil in the Flesh by Scott Murray (Australia) La Dona del traghetto by Amedeo Fago (Italy) Esther by Amos Gitaï (Israel) Faubourg Saint-Martin by Jean-Claude Guiguet (France) San Antoñito by Pepe Sanchez (Colombia) Sleepwalk by Sara Driver (United States)
Directors' Fortnight The following films were screened for the 1986 Directors' Fortnight (Quinzaine des Réalizateurs):
Cactus by Paul Cox Comic Magazine (Komikku Zasshi Nanka Iranai) by Yōjirō Takita Dancing in the Dark by Leon Marr The Decline of the American Empire (Le Déclin de l'empire américain) by Denys Arcand Defence of the Realm by David Drury Devil in the Flesh (Diavolo in corpo) by Marco Bellocchio Giovanni Senzapensieri by Marco Colli Golden Eighties by Chantal Akerman Malandro (Ópera do Malandro) by Ruy Guerra Memoirs of a Sinner by Wojciech Has Qing Chun Jin by Nuanxin Zhang Schmutz by Paulus Manker She's Gotta Have It by Spike Lee Sid and Nancy by Alex Cox Sorekara by Yoshimitsu Morita Tarot by Rudolf Thome Visszaszamlalas by Pal Erdoss Working Girls by Lizzie Borden
Official Awards
In Competition Palme d'Or: The Mission by Roland Joffé Grand Prix: The Sacrifice by Andrei Tarkovsky Best Director: Martin Scorsese for After Hours Best Actress: Barbara Sukowa for Rosa Luxemburg Fernanda Torres for Love Me Forever or Never Best Actor: Michel Blanc for Evening Dress Bob Hoskins for Mona Lisa Best Artistic Contribution: Sven Nykvist (cinematography) for The Sacrifice Jury Prize: Thérèse by Alain Cavalier
Caméra d'Or Noir et Blanc by Claire Devers
Short Film Palme d'Or Peel by Jane Campion Jury Prize for Fiction: Les Petites Magiciennes by Vincent Mercier and Yves Robert Jury Prize for Animation: Heiduque by Y. Katsap, L. Gorokhov
Independent Awards
FIPRESCI Prizes The Decline of the American Empire by Denys Arcand (Directors' Fortnight) The Sacrifice by Andrei Tarkovsky (In competition)
Commission Supérieure Technique Technical Grand Prize: The Mission by Roland Joffé
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury The Sacrifice by Andrei Tarkovsky Special Mention: Thérèse by Alain Cavalier
Award of the Youth Foreign Film: She's Gotta Have It by Spike Lee French Film: High Speed by Monique Dartonne and Michel Kaptur
References
Media INA: Roman Polanski presents Pirates at the opening of the 1986 Festival (interview in French) INA: List of winners of the 1986 festival (commentary in French)
External links 1986 Cannes Film Festival (web.archive) Official website Retrospective 1986 Cannes Film Festival Awards for 1986 at Internet Movie Database