Fearless journalism is more important than ever. When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it.
At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today? Cannes plays host to the most prestigious film festival in the world. Even though there are many obvious differences between a day film festival and an awards show, Cannes is as big a deal as the Oscars.
Plenty of people make this mistake. But in French, the word con is a vulgar insult descended from the same root as the English c-word. Only a few dozen films are selected to show during the festival, often from prestigious directors whose work has previously played at Cannes. There are also a number of sections that run parallel to the festival and are programmed by outside organizations during the festival. There are other juries too , which pick films to receive other specialized awards.
For instance, director Nadine Labaki is presiding over a jury that will select winners from the Un Certain Regard section. Cannes is widely considered the most prestigious film festival in the world, mainly because of its exclusivity and long history of premiering some of the greatest films of all time.
The festival has launched the careers of many prominent filmmakers, like Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh. Cannes carefully cultivates its image by programming a limited number of films; by giving awards selected by juries that are stacked with well-known filmmakers, actors, and composers from around the world; and by maintaining the largest film market in the world.
