2019 Queer Palm Winners

After all the highly positive noise and buzz generated by Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady On Fire is no surprise film won the LGBT award but deep inside me I was worry as usually top festival LGBT awards do not recognize lesbian interest film nor films made by a female director.

So the big surprise is not that Queer Palm is honoring a lesbian interest film BUT that film is by a female director!!! It's the first time in Cannes and well, it hasn't happened that often in other top film festivals.  There is always an exception and, of course, it is the award from the Berlinale as the Teddy has gone several times to a female director telling lesbian interest stories but also, gay interest stories, sigh.

The following is the jury statement in the original language it was said, French.

Le film que nous avons choisi de récompenser pour cette 10 ème édition de la Queer Palm n’est pas seulement une histoire lesbienne mais, avant tout, un grand film de cinéma. Le jury a été frappé par la maîtrise artistique dont fait preuve la cinéaste et touché par le regard qu’elle porte sur la création artistique, cœur brûlant de ce film. Nous avons été également ému par la sororité qui habite cette œuvre: de la destinée des personnages au travail avec les actrices et jusque dans l’équipe technique et artistique. Nous sommes également très fiers de remettre pour la première fois la Queer Palm à une femme.

This is a literal translation by facebook translator...

The movie we chose to award for this 10th edition of the Queer Palm is not only a lesbian story but, above all, an incredible film for cinema. The Jury was strucked by the director’s artistic mastering and deeply touched by the vision she brings upon artistic creation, blazing heart of this film. We were also greatly moved by the sorority that inhabit this remarkable work : from the characters’ fate to the actresses achievement as well as the technical and artistic crew. We are also extremely proud to award for the first time a Queer Palm to a woman.

Winners are in *BLUE.  To check official announcement go facebook post here.

---///---
5/11/19
2019 Queer Palm Selection

There is no real need to mention that 2019 has become the year where finding which films will compete for this award is truly hard, the hardest ever but I just did as is so frustrating.  The website address (queerpalm.fr) takes you to undesired advertising with all my computer protection whistlers go crazy loud. Sigh.  The queerpalm.org has no info for 2019, only for 2018. Still, hope that list below represents the best intentions to know which films have some lesbian or gay interest so we can hope to watch at least some of them during the next year.

This year was able to find some info in Glaad, the American organization, and perhaps the most interesting is the following:

Port Authority will be the first film in the festival’s history to feature a trans woman of color in a leading role. Starring newcomer Leyna Bloom and backed by Martin Scorsese, Port Authority tells a love story that begins at the New York City transportation center and dives into the kiki ballroom scene. The film also marks the feature film debut for director Danielle Lessovitz, who dedicated herself to authentic casting and representation.

But when looking at the films they mention it's clear that there are more in award's facebook page post.  Sigh.  According to recent press articles there are 18 feature films and 5 short films in the competition and the film that probably is in question is the Brazilian film by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles, others believe Gaspar Noe film is not LGBT, but will include them as facebook post says there are 19 feature films.

On May 18, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., the 5th Queer Film Market will be held in the presence of all of the sales agents and buyers of French films in competition for the Queer Palm Award (Cannes' LGBT Prize), the Queer Palm jury (helmed this year by Virginie Ledoyen), and programmers of LBBTQ+ festivals.  This is an event sponsored by UniFrance, so it's all about French films only.

The following are the 19 feature films and the 5 short films that compete in the award current edition according to the award facebook post of May 11th and May 10th.

Feature Films
Nineteen (19) feature films

In Competition
Bacurau (Nighthawk), Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles, Brazil
Dolor y Gloria (Pain and Glory), Pedro Almodóvar, Spain
Frankie, Ira Sachs, France and Portugal 
Matthias et Maxime (Matthias and Maxime), Xavier Dolan, Canada
*Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (Portrait of a Lady On Fire), Céline Sciamma, France  Winner of the Queer Palm
Roubaix, une lumière (Roubaix, a Light), Arnaud Desplechin, France

Out of Competition
Rocketman, Dexter Fletcher, USA and UK

Special Screenings
5B, Dan Krauss, USA

Midnight Screenings
Lux Æterna, Gaspar Noé, France, 50'

Un Certain Regard
Adam, Maryam Touzani, Morocco, France and Qatar
Дылда Dylda (Beanpole), Kantemir Balagov, Russia
Liberté (Freedom), Albert Serra, France, Portugal and Spain
Port Authority, Danielle Lessovitz, USA
灼人秘密 Zhuo Rem Mi Mi (Nina Wu), Midi Z, Taiwan

Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
And Then We Danced, Levan Akin, Sweden, Georgia, France
Tlamess, Ala Eddine Slim, Tunisa and France
Zombi Child, Bertrand Bonello, France

Semaine de la Critique
Tu mérites un amour (You Deserve Love), Hafsia Herzi, France

ACID
Indianara, Marcelo Barbosa and Aude Chevalier-Beaumel, Brazil

Short Films
Five (5) short films

Competition
Η Απόσταση Ανάμεσα στον Ουρανό κι Εμάς The Distance Between Us and the Sky, Vasilis Kekatos, Greece and France, 9'. Winner of the Queer Palm Short Award

Cinéfondation
Jeremiah, Kenya Gillespie, USA, 10' University of Texas at Austin 
Сложноподчиненное Slozhnopodchinennoe (Complex Subject), Olesya Yakovleva, Russia, 26' St. Petersburg State University of Film and Television

Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
Grand Bouquet, Nao Yoshigai, Japan

Semaine de la Critique
Journey Through a Body, Camille Degeye, France, 31'

Jury
President: Virginie Ledoyen, actress, France
Claire Duguet, cinematographer, writer and director, France
Kee-Yoon Kim, actress, France
Filipe Matzembacher, director, Brazil
Marcio Reolon, director, Brazil

To check list at official facebook site go here.