Lee Chang-dong’s ‘Burning’ Tops ICS Cannes Awards

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The International Cinephile Society (of which I am a member) has chosen its own Cannes winner just ahead of the festival’s closing ceremony and Lee Chang-dong’s Burning has won their Palme d’Or. Since the ICS follows the rules of the festival, this was Burning‘s only official win. Had the rules been loosened, it would have won nearly every category save Best Actress.

The overall awards took on a distinctly Asian flare with Jia Zhangke, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Zhao Tao, Ryusuke Hamaguchi and a special award to Bi Gan’s Un Certain Regard entry, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, which received the highest rating on the ICS Critics’ Panel.

Ash is Purest White and Shoplifters shared the Jury Prize award and Jean-Luc Godard took the Grand Prize for The Image Book. A second tie came in the Best Screenplay category which went to Plaire, aimer et courir vite and Asako I & II.

Here is the full list of winners of the 2018 ICS Cannes awards.

Palme d’Or
Burning – Lee Chang-dong

Grand Prix
Le livre d’image (The Image Book) – Jean-Luc Godard

Prix du Jury
Ash is Purest White – Jia Zhangke
Shoplifters – Hirokazu Kore-eda

Best Director
Alice Rohrwacher for Lazzaro Felice (Happy as Lazzaro)

Best Actor
Marcello Fonte for Dogman

Best Actress
Zhao Tao for Ash is Purest White

Best Screenplay
Christophe Honoré for Plaire, aimer et courir vite (Sorry, Angel)
Ryusuke Hamaguchi for Asako I & II

Special ICS Award
Long Day’s Journey into Night – Bi Gan