Chloe Zhao’s drama about a rodeo competitor, “The Rider,” has won the top prize in the Cannes Film Festival’s Directors’ Fortnight sidebar.
The film by Chinese-American director Zhao, which was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics on Tuesday, features several real-life rodeo figures, including Brady Jandreau, playing versions of themselves.
Jonas Carpignano’s “A Ciambra,” which tells a migrant story that has connections to Carpignano’s previous film, “Mediterranea,” won the Europa Cinemas Label, a prize open to all European films in the competition. The film was executive produced by Martin Scorsese.
The SCAD Prize, which is handed out by the French Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers to the best French film in the Fortnight, was given to two films, Claire Denis’ “Bright Sunshine” and Philippe Garrel’s “Lover for a Day.”
Benoit Grimalt’s “Back to Genoa City” won the Illy Prize for short film.
Directors’ Fortnight is a section run independently of but concurrently with the Cannes Film Festival. This year it consisted of 19 competition films, one special screening and 10 shorts.
Other films in the competition this year included Abel Ferrara’s “Alive n France,” Sean Baker’s “The Florida Project,” Bruno Dumont’s “Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc,” Rungano Nyoni’s “I Am Not a Witch,” Geremy Jasper’s “Patti Cake$” and Amos Gitai’s “West of the Jordan River.”
Awards in Cannes Un Certain Regard and documentary competitions will be announced on Saturday, with the Palme d’Or and other main-competition awards revealed at a ceremony on Sunday.
The Directors’ Fortnight awards:
Art Cinema Award: “The Rider,” Chloe Zhao
SCAD Prize: TIE, “Bright Sunshine” (“Un Beau Soleil Interieur”), Claire Denis; and “Lover for a Day” (“L’Amant d’Un Jour”), Philippe Garrel
Europa Cinemas Label: “A Ciambra,” Jonas Carpignano
Illy Prize: “Back to Genoa City” (“Retour a Genoa City”), Benoit Grimalt