Winners of Cannes Film Festival

Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident has won the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, which wrapped tonight (May 24) at the Grand Theatre Lumiere.

It is the Iranian director’s first film since his release from prison and follows a man, his heavily pregnant wife and their young daughter, as they get in a minor car accident and the chain of events that is then set in motion.

The second place Grand Prix went to Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, with the Jury Prize going to Oliver Laxe’s Sirat.

Kleber Mendonça Filho collected best director for The Secret Agent, with the film’s star Wagner Moura also winning best actor.

Nadia Melliti won best actress for The Little Sister, with Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne awarded the best screenplay prize for Young Mothers.

Cannes 2025 Competition awards

Grand Prix: Sentimental Value, dir. Joachim Trier

Best Actress: Nadia Melliti, The Little Sister

Best Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho, The Secret Agent

Jury Prize: Sirat, dir. Oliver Laxe

Best Screenplay: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Young Mothers

Best Actor: Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Special Award: Resurrection, dir. Bi Gan

Camera d’Or: The President’s Cake, dir. Hasan Hadi

Special mention: My Father’s Shadow, dir. Akinola Davies Jr

Short Film Palme d’Or: I’m Glad You’re Dead Now, dir. Tawfeek Barhom

Special Mention: Ali, dir. Adnan Al Rajeev