The 79th Cannes Film Festival wrapped up on Saturday with the Palme d'Or award ceremony in the evening, marking the close of the prestigious event held in Cannes, France [1, 2, 3]. South Korean director Park Chan-wook led the nine-member jury charged with selecting the Palme d'Or winner from 22 films by internationally acclaimed directors [1, 2, 3]. Among the notable contenders were films by Spain's Pedro Almodovar, Iran's Asghar Farhadi, Romania's Cristian Mungiu, and others [1, 2, 3].

Several films emerged as festival favorites. Russia’s Andrey Zvyagintsev’s "Minotaure," Japan’s Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s "All of a Sudden," Spain’s "La Bola Negra" (The Black Ball), and Poland’s Pawel Pawlikowski’s "Fatherland" drew strong attention [1, 2, 3]. "La Bola Negra," a gay-themed drama partly set during the Spanish Civil War, received an exceptionally long standing ovation following its screening. Reports vary, with some sources citing a 16-minute ovation and others 20 minutes [1, 2, 4]. Deadline awards editor Damon Wise described the ovation as building, pausing, then surging again amid applause [4]. Film critic Anna Smith noted such ovations are a traditional but not always reliable measure of reception, as audiences often join in enthusiasm that tapers and restarts [4].

The festival was mostly absent of Hollywood blockbusters and focused on independent and arthouse films [1, 2, 3]. Only two U.S. directors competed in the main category — James Gray with "Paper Tiger" and Ira Sachs with "The Man I Love" [3].

An emotional moment occurred during a midnight screening that reunited the original "The Fast and the Furious" cast to celebrate 25 years since the franchise’s debut [1, 2].

Spanish actor Javier Bardem, favored for best actor for his role in "The Beloved," used a press conference to criticize what he called the "toxic masculinity" of world leaders Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing them of obsessions over their manhoods [1, 2].

The festival opened on May 21 with world premieres and star arrivals. Highlights including Bardem’s remarks and the long ovation for "La Bola Negra" came on May 23 [5, 1, 2, 4]. The closing ceremony with the Palme d'Or announcement took place that evening [1, 2, 3].