As Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s 'It Was Just An Accident' clinched the prestigious Palme d’Or, Alia Bhatt’s stunning debut on the Cannes red carpet became a talked-about moment.
The 78th Cannes Film Festival wrapped up over the weekend with its final screenings and a closing ceremony that revealed the winners of the festival’s line-up with Jafar Panahi’s historic Palme d’Or win. While on the home front, Alia Bhatt surprised everyone by serving lewks on the red carpet and making stylish appearances at events. Over the course of 12 days, the festival delivered everything from powerful premieres to viral red carpet moments solidifying its role. The final screening of the festival, Honey Don’t, marked the end of a diverse and thrilling showcase followed by a closing ceremony. The festival has already sparked momentum with titles making waves like Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value receiving a near 20-minute standing ovation, and Die My Love making headlines by striking a historic $23 million acquisition deal with MUBI.
It was also the year that saw many actor-to-director debuts with Kristen Stewart, Scarlett Johansson, and Harris Dickinson presenting their first directorial efforts. Meanwhile, Cannes favourites such as Julia Ducournau, Bi Gan, and Joachim Trier returned with their new works, as a heartfelt tribute was also paid to cinema legend Jean-Luc Godard by Richard Linklater, reminding audiences of the art form’s rebellious and poetic spirit. The red carpet was not behind as the star power was in full force starting from rule change, Tom Cruise’s entry, Pedro Pascal’s biceps, Emma Stone’s “bee moment” alongside Pascal and Austin Butler, and the unexpected camaraderie between Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence. Flmmakers and actors like Spike Lee, Robert De Niro, Quentin Tarantino, and others took to the stage with moving speeches, reflecting on the state of cinema and the world at large.
Here’s a quick catch-up on the highlights from the last days at Cannes 2025!
India at Cannes 2025
Apart from Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound and Payal Kapadia as a jury member making us all proud, the red carpet had familiar faces lit up the Croisette like that of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Urvashi Rautela, Aditi Rao Hydari, and a bunch of content creators but Alia Bhatt, who, despite early speculation around her absence, stunned everyone with not one but multiple statement looks in Gucci.
Palme d’Or: Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident
The festival’s highest honour, the Palme d’Or, was awarded to Jafar Panahi for his searing political drama It Was Just an Accident. Drawing from Panahi’s own time in Iranian prison, the film follows five former detainees who believe they’ve identified the prosecutor responsible for their torture but none of them can be entirely sure, as all were blindfolded. Panahi's win is not just artistic, it's deeply symbolic as it is a metaphor for state violence and memory under authoritarian regimes. The Iranian filmmaker, long persecuted in his own country for his outspoken work, has turned his personal struggles into a haunting collective narrative. This award is seen as the most overt political statement made by the festival this year. This also marks the sixth Palme d’Or win for NEON following titles like Parasite, Anatomy of a Fall, Anora, and others making it a dominant production force in Cannes since 2019.
Grand Prix: Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier
The Grand Prix, Cannes’ second-highest honour, went to Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value, a layered and emotionally intricate family drama. The film follows a once-renowned filmmaker attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter by casting her in his most personal project yet a move that feels both intimate and narcissistic. Trier, known for his nuanced storytelling in The Worst Person in the World, continues his exploration of complicated family dynamics.
Multiple wins for The Secret Agent
Brazilian political thriller The Secret Agent walked away with two major awards, one for Best Actor that Wagner Moura won for his gripping performance as a father who goes underground to avoid assassination during Brazil’s military dictatorship and the other for Kleber Mendonça Filho, who won Best Director for Direction which was much appreciated for the film’s tense, slow-burning narrative.
Best Actress: Nadia Melliti for Little Sister
Nadia Melliti won Best Actress for her breakout performance in Little Sister, where she plays a resilient Parisian teenager navigating her queer identity within a conservative immigrant household.
Jury Prize was awarded to two films
The Jury Prize was shared by: Olivier Laxe’s Sirat, a wild, post-apocalyptic journey across Morocco’s deserts with a caravan of ravers that features hypnotic visuals and shocking set pieces and Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling, a poeticly haunting portrait of a single house and the deeply human and personal observation of the intertwined lives of its various residents.
Special Jury Prize: Bi Gan’s Resurrection
Chinese director Bi Gan received a Special Jury Prize for Resurrection, a sprawling cinematic love letter to the artform itself. The anthology film darts through a century of cinema while paying homage to the dreamers and visionaries who shaped film history.
Un Certain Regard: Spotlight on emerging voices
This year’s Un Certain Regard section celebrated daring new perspectives: Best Film: The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo by Diego Céspedes, Best Director: Tarzan and Arab Nasser for Once Upon a Time in Gaza, Jury Prize: A Poet by Simón Mesa Soto, Best Actor: Frank Dillane for Urchin, Best Actress: Cléo Diara for I Only Rest in the Storm, and Best Screenplay: Pillion by Harry Lighton. This category also featured Homebound by India’s Neeraj Ghaywan, a much-talked-about entry that made global strides for its portrayal of home, grief, and belonging.
Camera d’Or: A historic first for Iraq
The Camera d’Or, awarded for best debut feature, went to Hasan Hadi for The President’s Cake. Presented by Alice Rohrwacher, this win marked a historic first for Iraq at Cannes, making it a significant milestone in the country’s cinematic journey.
A musical surprise from John C. Reilly
In a charming and unexpected moment, John C. Reilly supported his film Heads or Tails?, and delighted audiences by singing La Vie en Rose in English.
Cannes 2025 may have ended, but it’s only the beginning of this year’s cinematic journey, with many of these titles expected to dominate conversations in the months to come.
What was your favorite moment from this film festival? Let us know in the comments below!
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