The Queer Palm

Why ? How ?

Gregg Araki with Kaboom, 2010

Oliver Hermanus with Beauty (Skoonheid), 2011

The Teddy Award of the Berlin festival exists since 1987, the Queer Lion of Venice since 2007, the Queer Palm, first LGBT award of Cannes Film Festival was created in 2010.

It is a question of gathering a jury of journalists, organizers of LGBT film festivals, artists and movie professionals which rewards a movie for its artistic qualities and its treatments about gay, lesbian, bi or trans questions or its treatment of gender questions.

The Queer Palm, it is above all the will to advance the variety which makes the wealth of the cinema, the « queer » visibility in a worldwide followed festival, it is also to remind the whole world the necessary equality of rights for all, whatever its sexuality, its sexual identity.

The directors Olivier Ducastel et Jacques Martineau (Jeanne and the perfect guy, Cockles and Mussels, Felix, …) have accepted to be the godfathers of this award.

The eligible movies for this award are those who are presented in the major selection of the film festival : Official selection, Un Certain Regard, Semaine de la Critique, Quinzaine des Réalisateurs and ACID (selection of independents film-makers). Or all in about 100 films.

The first edition of the Queer Palm in 2010 awarded “Kaboom” by the american director Gregg Araki, the second one awarded Oliver Hermanus, south-african director for “Beauty” (“Skoonheid”) in 2011.

In 2012, “Laurence Anyways” by Xavier Dolan (Canada) wins the Queer Palm and “This is not a cowboy movie” by Benjamin Parent (France) wins the first Queer Palm for a short movie.