Ramin Bahrani’s 99 Homes was No. 1 Saturday night, taking the grand prize at the Deauville Film Festival.
The eviction drama stars Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon. Jury president Benoit Jacquot called the film “absolutely exceptional” upon presenting the award.
It’s the second film to star Shannon to take the top prize at the festival, following 2011’s Take Shelter. Shannon and Bahrani were in Deauville earlier in the week to present the film to festival audiences.
The two thanked the jury by video message. “Thanks for inviting us to the festival. We had a great time and are sorry we are not there. We had to go back and get started on 100 Homes,” joked Shannon. “It’s a much more hopeful picture. One more home makes a big difference.”
The jury was headed by Farewell, My Queen director Jacquot, with director Pascal Bonitzer (Made in Paris), actresses Louise Bourgoin (The Love Punch), Marie Gillain (Valentin Valentin) and Marthe Keller (The Witness), actor Louis-Do de Lencquesaing (Marseille), novelist Marc Dugain, director Sophie Fillieres (If You Don’t, I Will) and Cesar-winning cinematographer Julien Hirsch (Lady Chatterly) joining him.
The second-place jury prize went to Sean Baker’s Tangerine. The transgender drama has also been honored at Palm Springs and Karlovy Vary.
“We were surprised by the high quality of the films, so it is kind of unfair because every film was so good,” said Jacquot.
The Kiehl’s Revelation prize, decided by a separate jury of Cesar-winning director Zabou Breitman, actresses Alice Isaaz, Rachelle Lefèvre, Géraldine Nakache and Borgia star Stanley Weber, went to Josh Mond’s James White.
“I made this film to understand something and to connect, and I want to thank the jury for connecting,” said Mond upon accepting the award.
SXSW winner and Cannes’ Critics’ Week entry Krisha, directed by Trey Edward Shults, took home the critics’ prize here.
The D’Ornano-Valenti prize, which is awarded to the best first film by a French director, went to Les Cowboys. The Cannes entry is the directorial debut of Rust and Bone screenwriter Thomas Bidegain and stars John C. Reilly.
The audience award was given to Rick Famuyiwa’s Dope.
In an earlier ceremony, the Lucien Barriere Literary Prize was awarded to American writer Dinaw Mengestu for his novel All Our Names.
