2006 Cannes Film Festival

[
In the Mood for Love" by Wong Kar-wai.] The 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury.

English director Ken Loach won Palme d'Or, with his movie "The Wind That Shakes the Barley". Other winners were Pedro Almodóvar (Best Screenplay, "Volver") and Alejandro González Iñárritu (Best Director, "Babel"). This also marked the first time in three years that no American film, actor, actress, or filmmaker won any awards in Cannes.

The festival opened with the premiere screening of "The Da Vinci Code", based on the controversial novel by Dan Brown. Journalists gave the film a cool reception at its first press screening, with loud laughter breaking out at one of the pivotal scenes. Despite the reviews, "The Da Vinci Code" earned $224 million worldwide in its opening weekend, the second-largest worldwide release to date. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/21/boxoffice.0521.ap/index.html]

Feature film competition

Jury

* Wong Kar-wai, President (Hong Kong, China)
* Monica Bellucci (Italy)
* Helena Bonham Carter (United Kingdom)
* Samuel L. Jackson (United States)
* Patrice Leconte (France)
* Lucrecia Martel (Argentina)
* Tim Roth (United Kingdom)
* Elia Suleiman (Palestine)
* Zhang Ziyi (China)

Films in competition

*"L'amico di famiglia" - Paolo Sorrentino:An elderly moneylender living with his mother interferes in the private life of his debtors. Reviews were generally positive [http://daily.greencine.com/archives/001996.html] , [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/awards/cannes/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002465056] , [http://www.timeout.com/film/news/1173.html] .
*"Babel" - Alejandro González Iñárritu:The final part of Iñárritu’s "Death Trilogy", which began with Amores Perros and continued with 21 Grams. Inspired by the biblical story and consists of four stories set in Morocco, Tunisia, Mexico, and Japan. "Babel" was well received by most critics [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14936-2194146,00.html] [http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060523/film_nm/leisure_cannes_babel_dc] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5008870.stm] (but not all [http://www.timeout.com/film/news/1165.html] [http://film.guardian.co.uk/cannes2006/story/0,,1782539,00.html] ), and was considered a strong contender for the Palme d’Or. Brad Pitt, one of the stars of the film, generated press coverage for not attending the premiere due to the imminent birth of his child with Angelina Jolie.
*"Crónica de una fuga" - Israel Adrián Caetano:Kidnapped by the Argentine government, a football player and two comrades escape to a new life.
*"Il caimano" - Nanni Moretti:Satire of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Italian politics. The film came out in Italy in March, just before the Italian general election, triggering protests from some politicians [http://www.ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2006-05-22_1229211.html] . Moretti's previous film, "The Son's Room", won the Palme d'Or in 2001.
*"Iklimler" - Nuri Bilge Ceylan:A dowdy university instructor (Nuri Bilge Ceylan) is an inattentive husband to his younger TV-business wife (played by the director's actual wife, Ebru Ceylan). Reviews ranged from "one of the finest films to play the festival in competition" [http://daily.greencine.com/archives/001960.html] to "a by-the-numbers Man from Mars/Woman from Venus relationship story [that] slogs through its predictable paces..." [http://www.thehollywoodreporter.com/thr/awards/cannes/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002465057] .
*"Fast Food Nation" - Richard Linklater:A fictional story based on the non-fiction book of the same name. While initially considered a front-runner, critics were generally disappointed [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,1779442,00.html] [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=filmNews&storyID=2006-05-22T100027Z_01_N22333449_RTRIDST_0_FILM-FILM-FASTFOOD-DC.XML] [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14936-2188422,00.html] [http://www.timeout.com/film/news/1155.html] .
*"Flandres" - Bruno Dumont:A group of young men in northern France set out as soldiers to fight a war in a distant country. Met with mixed reviews [http://daily.greencine.com/archives/001971.html] , [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/awards/cannes/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002464987] [http://www.timeout.com/film/news/1165.html] [http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=features2006&content=jump&jump=review&dept=cannes&nav=RCannes&articleid=VE1117930609] [http://film.guardian.co.uk/cannes2006/story/0,,1782539,00.html]
*"Indigènes" - Rachid Bouchareb:Story of North African soldiers recruited to fight for the French army in World War II. Screening as "Days of Glory" in English. It received favorable reviews [http://www.timeout.com/film/news/1173.html] [http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2006/05/27/art_films/index_np.html] .
*"Juventude Em Marcha" ("Colossal Youth") - Pedro Costa:Half documentary, half dramatic essay about a worker in a Lisbon slum who is about to move into a housing project.
*"El Laberinto del Fauno" - Guillermo del Toro:1944 post civil war Spain, 12-year-old Ofelia moves with her pregnant mother to an army base commanded by her stepfather Captain Vidal. She meets a faun in a Labyrinth who tells her she is Princess Moanna who must complete 3 tasks to return to her real father, who's awaiting her return. The film received a 22-minute standing ovation. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/trivia]
*"Laitakaupungin valot" - Aki Kaurismäki:Comedy about a security man who meets a femme fatale who sets him up for his gullibility and loyalty. Met with mostly disappointing reviews [http://daily.greencine.com/archives/001963.html] [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002540009] . Kaurismäki's last film, "The Man Without a Past", won the Grand Prix at the 2002 festival.
*"Marie-Antoinette" - Sofia Coppola:Based on the life of the infamous French queen, focusing on her younger years and her relationship with Louis XVI. It received mixed reviews at its premiere [http://film.guardian.co.uk/cannes2006/story/0,,1782271,00.html] [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=filmNews&storyID=2006-05-24T222308Z_01_L24123451_RTRIDST_0_FILM-CANNES-COPPOLA-DC.XML] [http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2006/05/24/coppola/ ] , with some critics booing the film - the only film in competition to be booed so far. However, it was said that the boos were from French viewers.
*"Quand j'étais chanteur" - Xavier Giannoli:A dance hall singer pretends to be looking for a house so he can get to know a female real estate agent.
*"La raison du plus faible" - Lucas Belvaux:Three middle-class men perpetrate an armed heist because one of the robber's wife needs a new moped so she won't have to take the bus to work. Received mixed reviews [http://daily.greencine.com/archives/001997.html] [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/awards/cannes/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002465048] .
*"Red Road" - Andrea Arnold:A security camera operator comes face-to-face with the man responsible for her father's death. The first feature from director Arnold, it received mostly positive reviews [http://daily.greencine.com/archives/001952.html] [http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22052006/325/europe-eclipses-hollywood-hot-year-cannes.html] .
*"Selon Charlie" - Nicole Garcia:Seven people in a French coastal town cross paths for three days. The first French Film in the running this year, it was modestly received [http://daily.greencine.com/archives/001961.html] [http://www.indiewire.com/movies/2006/05/cannes_06_criti.html] .
*"Southland Tales" - Richard Kelly:A group of Los Angelenos look forward to the July 4 holiday as LA teeters on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster in 2008. Writer/Director Richard Kelly's latest after "Donnie Darko". "Southland" had a mixed reception from the critics, with reviews ranging from silly [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=reviewsNews&storyID=2006-05-22T013215Z_01_N21292012_RTRIDST_0_REVIEW-FILM-SOUTHLAND-DC.XML] , disappointing [http://www.timeout.com/film/news/1157.html] and an incoherent mess [http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19736,1197684,00.html ] , while "a few influential critics" deemed it a "masterpiece." [http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2006/05/22/btm/]
*"Summer Palace" - Lou Ye:Two young lovers play out their complex, erotic, love/hate relationship against the Chinese political unrest in 1989. It is the only Asian film in this year's competition for the Palme d'Or.
*"Volver" - Pedro Almodóvar:After her death, a mother returns to her hometown in order to fix the situations she could not resolve during her life. Received favorable reviews [http://film.guardian.co.uk/cannes2006/story/0,,1779452,00.html] [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=filmNews&storyID=2006-05-22T095626Z_01_N22333228_RTRIDST_0_FILM-FILM-VOLVER-DC.XML] and is another favorite for the Palme d'Or.
*"The Wind That Shakes the Barley" - Ken Loach:A sympathetic look at Republicans in early 20th century Ireland. It received mostly favorable reviews, and won the 59th festival, with Ken Loach receiving the Palme d'Or of Cannes 2006. [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/screen/story/0,,1779572,00.html] [http://www.cinematical.com/2006/05/22/cannes-review-the-wind-that-shakes-the-barley/] [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14936-2187192,00.html] .

Films out of Competition

* "The Da Vinci Code", by Ron Howard (Opening Film)
* "Transylvania", by Tony Gatlif (Closing Film)
* "United 93", by Paul Greengrass
* "", by Brett Ratner
* "Over the Hedge", by Tim Johnson, Karey Kirkpatrick
* "Election 2" (aka " Triad Election"), by Johnnie To
* "Clerks II", by Kevin Smith
* "Silk", by Su Chao-pin
* "Shortbus", by John Cameron Mitchell
* "An Inconvenient Truth", by Davis Guggenheim
* "Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters", by Bill Couturie
* "Volevo Solo Vivere", by Mimmo Calopresti
* "Bamako", by Abderrahmane Sissako
* "Ici Najac, a vous la terre", by Jean-Henri Meunier
* "Avida", by Benoit Delepine
* "El-Banate Dol "(aka " These Girls" ), by Tahani Rached
* "Zidane, A 21st Century Portrait", by Philippe Parreno and Douglas Gordon
* "Nouvelle Chance", by Anne Fontaine
* "The House Is Burning", by Holger Ernst
* "Chlopiec na galopujacym koniu "(aka " The Boy on the Galloping Horse" ), by Adam Guzinski

Un Certain Regard

*"977" - Nikolay Khomeriki
*"A Scanner Darkly" - Richard Linklater
*"Bihisht Faqat Baroi Murdagon" - Djamshed Usmonov
*"Bled Number One" - Rabah Ameur-Zaimeche
*"Cum Mi-am Petrecut Sfarsitul Lumii" - Catalin Mitulescu
*"El Violin" - Francisco Vargas Quevdeo
*"Gwaï wik" - Oxide Pang & Danny Pang
*"Hamaca Paraguaya" - Paz Encina
*"Il Regista Di Matrimoni" - Marco Bellocchio
*"La Californie" - Jacques Fieschi
*"La Tourneuse de pages" (aka " The Page Turner" ) - Denis Dercourt
*"Luxury Car" - Wang Chao
*"Meurtrieres" - Patrick Grandperret
*"Paris, je t'aime" - Gurinder Chadha, Bruno Podalydès, Gus Van Sant, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Walter Salles, Daniela Thomas, Christopher Doyle, Isabel Coixet, Suwa Nobuhiro, Sylvain Chomet, Alfonso Cuarón, Olivier Assayas, Oliver Schmitz, Richard LaGravenese, Vincenzo Natali, Wes Craven, Tom Tykwer, Gérard Depardieu, Frédéric Auburtin, Alexander Payne
*"Salvador" - Manuel Huerga
*"Serambi" - Garin Nugroho, Tonny Trimarsanto, Viva Westi, Lianto Luseno
*"Suburban Mayhem" - Paul Goldman
*"Taxidermia" - György Pálfi
*"Ten Canoes" - Rolf de Heer
*"The Unforgiven" - Jong-bin Yoon
*"" - Murali K. Thalluri
*"Uro" - Stefan Faldbakken
*"You Am I" - Kristijonas Vildziunas
*"Z Odzysku" - Slawomir Fabicki

Winners

*Palme d'Or (Won by Ken Loach for "The Wind That Shakes the Barley")
*Grand Prix (Won by Bruno Dumont for "Flandres")
*Prix de la mise en scène (Won by Alejandro González Iñárritu director of "Babel")
*Prix du Jury (Won by Andrea Arnold for "Red Road")
*Prix du scénario (Won by Pedro Almodovar for "Volver")
*Prix d'interprétation féminine du Festival de Cannes (Won by the cast of "Volver" including Penelope Cruz)
*Prix d'interprétation masculine du Festival de Cannes (Won by the cast of "Indigènes")
*Prix un certain regard (Won by Chao Wang for "Luxury Car")

External links

* [http://www.festival-cannes.fr/index.php?langue=6002 Official site]
* [http://www.ifctv.com/cannes IFC's red carpet webcam feed (Windows Media Player)]