Cannes 2023 closes after two weeks with presentation of the Palme d’Or

After 21 world premieres, nearly two weeks of red-carpet pares and hundreds of thousands of camera flashes, 76th Cannes Film Festival concludes Saturday with presentation of its top prize, Palme d'Or.

One of cinema's most sought-after awards will be decided by this year's jury, presided over by two-time Palme winner Ruben Östlund, Swedish director. brief ceremony will precede festival's closing night film, Pixar animation “Elemental.”

Any of 21 films that played in Cannes' main competition lineup can win Palme. Among critical favorites of this year's festival are Jonathan Glazer's “ Zone of Interest,” a chilling Martin Amis aptation about a German family living next door to Auschwitz; “Fallen Leaves,” Finish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki's depan romance; and “Anatomy of a Fall,” Justine Triet's twisty French Alps courtroom drama.

Two of those — “Anatomy of a Fall” and “ Zone of Interest" — star German actor Sandra Hüller, a likely candidate for best actress.

festival's Un Certain Regard section handed out its awards on Friday, giving top prize to Molly Manning Walker's debut feature , “How to Have Sex.”

Saturday’s ceremony draws to close a Cannes edition that hasn't lacked spectacle, stars or controversy.

biggest watt premieres came out of competition. Martin Scorsese debuted his Os murders epic “Killers of Flower Moon,” a sprawling vision of American exploitation with Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Glstone. “Indiana Jones and Dial of Destiny,” Harrison Ford’s Indy farewell , launched with a tribute to Ford. Wes Anderson premiered “Asteroid City.”

festival opened on a te of controversy . “Jeanne du Barry,” a period drama co-starring Johnny Depp as Louis XV, played as opening night film. premiere marked Depp's highest profile appearance since conclusion of his explosive trial last year with ex-wife Amber Heard.

selection of “Jeanne du Barry” ded to criticisms of Cannes for being too hospitable to men accused of abusive behavior.

Cannes, which requires films in competition to abide by France's strict atrical windowing rules, has remained at an impasse with Netflix in recent years. Yet, intriguingly, a Netflix release could feasibly win Palme. After Todd Haynes' “May December,” starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, premiered in competition, Netflix acquired it for distribution in rth America for a reported $11 million.