Directors' Fortnight
(Quinzaine des cinéastes)
LocationThéâtre Croisette, J. W. Marriott, Cannes, France
Founded1969
LanguageFrench, English
Websitewww.quinzaine-cineastes.fr

The Directors' Fortnight (French: Quinzaine des cinéastes, formerly Quinzaine des réalisateurs)[1] is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festival as an act of solidarity with striking workers.[2]

The Directors' Fortnight showcases a programme of shorts and feature films and documentaries worldwide.

Artistic directors

Programming is overseen by an artistic director. The current artistic director is Julien Rejl who has programmed Director's Fortnight since 2023.[3]

Past artistic directors include Pierre-Henri Deleau (1969–1999), Marie-Pierre Macia (1999-2003), Olivier Père (2004–2009), Frédéric Boyer (2009–2011), Édouard Waintrop (2012–2018) and Paolo Moretti (2018-2022).

Awards

Audience Award

In partnership with The Fondation Chantal Akerman, for the first time ever, the audience will award one of the films in the main selection with the "Audience Award" or "Choix du Public" in 2024. It's the first ever official award presented by the section, since its creation in 1969:[4][5]

YearEnglish titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryRef.
2024Universal LanguageUne Langue universelleMatthew RankinCanada[6]
2025The President's Cakeمملكة القصبHasan HadiIraq, Qatar, United States[7]
2026I See Buildings Fall Like LightningClio BarnardUnited Kingdom, France, United States[8]

Europa Cinemas Label Award Winners

The award was created in 2003, and highlights European productions screened at the Directors Fortnight section:[9]

YearEnglish titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production country
2003The MotherRoger MichellUnited Kingdom
Kitchen StoriesSalmer fra kjokkenetBent HamerNorway, Sweden
2004In the Battlefieldsمعارك حبDanielle ArbidLebanon, France, Belgium, Germany
2005The MoustacheLa moustacheEmmanuel CarrèreFrance
200612:08 East of BucharestA fost sau n-a fost?Corneliu PorumboiuRomania
2007ControlAnton CorbijnUnited Kingdom, Australia
2008EldoradoBouli LannersBelgium, France
2009La PivellinaTizza Covi and Rainer FrimmelItaly, Austria
2010Le Quattro VolteMichelangelo FrammartinoItaly, Germany, Switzerland
2011BreathingAtmenKarl MarkovicsAustria
2012The RepentantالتائبMerzak AllouacheAlgeria
2013The Selfish GiantClio BarnardUnited Kingdom
2014Love at First FightLes CombattantsThomas CailleyFrance
2015MustangDeniz Gamze ErgüvenFrance, Germany, Turkey
2016MercenaryMercenaireSacha WolffFrance
2017A CiambraJonas CarpignanoItaly
2018Lucia's GraceTroppa GraziaGianni Zanasi
2019Alice and the MayorAlice et le MaireNicolas PariserFrance
2021A ChiaraJonas CarpignanoItaly, France, United States, Sweden
2022One Fine MorningUn beau matinMia Hansen-LøveFrance, Germany
2023CreaturaElena Martín GimenoSpain
2024The Other Way AroundVolveréisJonás TruebaSpain, France
2025Wild FoxesLa danse des renardsValéry CarnoyFrance, Belgium
2026Too Many Beastsl'Espèce ExplosiveSarah ArnoldGermany, France

SACD Coup de Cœur Prize

Awarded to the best French-language feature of the sidebar.

YearEnglish titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryRef.
2025Wild FoxesLa danse des renardsValéry CarnoyFrance, Belgium[10]
2026ShanaLila PinellFrance[8]

Carrosse d'Or

YearDirector(s)Nationality
2002Jacques RozierFrance
2003Clint EastwoodUnited States
2004Nanni MorettiItaly
2005Ousmane SembèneSenegal
2006David CronenbergCanada
2007Alain CavalierFrance
2008Jim JarmuschUnited States
2009Naomi KawaseJapan
2010Agnès VardaFrance
2011Jafar PanahiIran
2012Nuri Bilge CeylanTurkey
2013Jane CampionNew Zealand
2014Alain Resnais (posthumous)France
2015Jia ZhangkeChina
2016Aki KaurismäkiFinland
2017Werner HerzogGermany
2018Martin ScorseseUnited States
2019John Carpenter
2021Frederick Wiseman
2022Kelly Reichardt
2023Souleymane CisséMali
2024Andrea ArnoldUnited Kingdom
2025Todd Haynes[11]United States
2026Claire Denis[12]France

Retired awards

Art Cinema Award

YearEnglish titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryRef.
2014Love at First FightLes CombattantsThomas CailleyFrance[13]
2015Embrace of the SerpentEl abrazo de la serpienteCiro GuerraColombia, Venezuela, Argentina[14]
2016Wolf and SheepShahrbanoo SadatDenmark, Afghanistan[15]
2017The RiderChloé ZhaoUnited States[16]
2018ClimaxGaspar NoéBelgium, France[17]

Other Awards

  • Illy Prize

See also

References

  1. ^ Leffler, Rebecca (30 March 2023). "Cannes' Directors' Fortnight unveils 2023 poster and gears up for revamped edition". Screen Daily. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  2. ^ Peter Bradshaw (May 14, 2007). "Radicalism at Cannes? It's unlikely". Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2015-07-30.
  3. ^ Vagenas, Maria Giovanna (2005-02-08). "Groundbreaking Cinephilia: A Conversation with Julien Rejl, Artistic Director of the Directors' Fortnight – Senses of Cinema". Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  4. ^ "The "People's Choice": a vote for singularity!". Quinzaine des cinéastes. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  5. ^ Erbland, Kate (2024-03-27). "Cannes Directors' Fortnight Section Sets Festival's First Audience Award, in Honor of Chantal Akerman". IndieWire. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  6. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (2024-05-23). "Directors' Fortnight: Matthew Rankin's 'Universal Language' Wins Inaugural Audience Award; Europa Cinema & SACD Prize Winners". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  7. ^ Hopewell, John (2025-05-22). "Cannes Directors' Fortnight: 'The President's Cake,' Iraq's First Film at the Festival, Wins People's Choice Audience Award". Variety. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
  8. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (2026-05-21). "Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Winners: Clio Bernard’s ‘I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning’ Scoops People’s Choice Audience Award". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  9. ^ "Cannes - Directors' Fortnight - cinema.front.festival_meta_title". Europa Cinema. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  10. ^ "Cannes Directors' Fortnight: 'The President's Cake,' Iraq's First Film at the Festival, Wins People's Choice Audience Award". Variety. 2025-05-22. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  11. ^ "Cannes' Carrosse d'Or goes to Todd Haynes". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. 2025-04-01. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  12. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (2026-04-01). "Claire Denis To Receive Carrosse D’Or Cannes Directors' Fortnight". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-04-03.
  13. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (2014-05-23). "Cannes: Cannes: ‘Love At First Fight’ Sweeps Directors’ Fortnight". Deadline
  14. ^ Frater, Patrick (2015-05-22). "Cannes: Cannes: 'Embrace of the Serpent' Tops Directors' Fortnight Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  15. ^ Frater, Patrick (2016-05-20). "Cannes: 'Wolf & Sheep' Rounds up Directors' Fortnight Prize". Variety. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  16. ^ "Cannes Awards: Controversial Swedish Satire 'The Square' Wins Palme d'Or". 28 May 2017.
  17. ^ "Gaspar Noé's 'Climax' Dances off with Directors' Fortnight Top Prize – Cannes". 17 May 2018.

Bibliography

  • Pierre-Henri Deleau: La Quinzaine des réalisateurs à Cannes: Cinéma en liberté : 1969-1993 (Broché), Editions de La Martinière, 1993
  • Olivier Thévenin: Sociologie d'une institution cinématographique : La S.R.F. et la Quinzaine des réalisateurs (Broché), Paris: l'Harmattan, 2009, ISBN 2-296-09457-0

Documentaries

  • 40x15.Les Quarante Ans de la Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, directed by Olivier Jahan, 97 min, 2008 details