Cannes 2016: the winners

I, Daniel Blake (2016)

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British director Ken Loach has won the Palme d’Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival for his protest drama I, Daniel Blake. Backed by the BFI Film Fund, this is the powerful story of a disabled man’s frustrated dealings with the benefits system. A Cannes veteran, Loach previously won the award for The Wind That Shakes the Barley in 2006. This win makes him one of only eight filmmakers to have won Cannes’s top prize twice.

There was more British success for Andrea Arnold for her epic road movie American Honey, which was awarded the jury prize. This is the third time Arnold has won this award, following wins for Red Road in 2006 and Fish Tank in 2009. American Honey was also backed by the BFI with Lottery funding.

Ben Roberts, Director of the BFI Film Fund said: “What a moment for British cinema, and for two important and humane films with so much to say. Bravo to Ken and to Andrea and their collaborators – including the unstoppable Robbie Ryan who shot both films. This is cinema from the heart, and we’re grateful that we have an industry that can support such personal, powerful filmmaking.”

This year’s Grand Prix went to Xavier Dolan for his opinion-dividing It’s Only the End of the World, while the best director prize was awarded as a tie to Olivier Assayas for Personal Shopper and Cristian Mungiu for Graduation.

Festivals favourite Asghar Farhadi wins best screenplay for his marital drama The Salesman, which also nabbed the best actor prize for Shahab Hosseini. Best actress went to Jaclyn Jose for her role in Ma ’Rosa by Filipino director Brillante Ma. Mendoza.

Competition winners

Palme d’Or
Ken Loach, I, Daniel Blake

Grand Prix
Xavier Dolan, It’s Only the End of the World

Jury Prize
Andrea Arnold, American Honey

Camera d’Or
Houda Benyamina, Divines 

Best director
tie: Olivier Assayas, Personal Shopper, and Cristian Mungiu, Graduation

Best screenplay
Asghar Farhadi, The Salesman

Best actress
Jaclyn Jose, Ma ‘Rosa

Best actor
Shahab Hosseini, The Salesman

Short film
Timecode, Juanjo Jimenez

Honorary Palme d’Or
Jean-Pierre Léaud