Todd Haynes‘ “Carol” has been named the winner of the 2015 Queer Palm award, a prize given to a Cannes film that deals with LGBT issues.
“Carol,” which is adapted from a Patricia Highsmith novel and stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as two women who fall in love in early 1950s New York, is by far the highest-profile film at this year’s festival to deal with gay and lesbian themes.
It is also one of the most acclaimed films at the festival, and a strong contender for the Palme d’Or, which will be announced on Sunday.
Also read: A Look at Cannes Sensation ‘Carol’: This Is Where Gay Rights Began, in Part
“‘Carol’ is both a beautiful miniature and a majestic romance; it’s set 60 years in the past, but it’s for now,” wrote TheWrap after its Cannes debut on May 16.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Lobster” received a special mention from the jury.
Queer Palm organizers singled out a number of Cannes films to compete for the prize. In addition to “Carol,” contenders included “Marguerite & Julien” from the main competition; “Amy” and “Love” screening out of competition: “Dope,” “Much Loved” and “Mustang” from Directors’ Fortnight; “Les Deux Amis” and “The Wakhan Front” from International Critics’ Week; and “De l’ombre il y a” and “Pauline s’arrache” from the Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema (ACID) showcase.
Also read: Cannes Review: ‘The Lobster’ Takes Colin Farrell to Funny, Surreal Hotel
The Queer Palm award was founded in 2010 by journalist Franck Finance-Madureira. Past winners include Gregg Araki’s “Kaboom,” Oliver Hermanus’ “Beauty,” Xavier Dolan‘s “Laurence Anyways,” Alain Guiraudie’s “Stranger by the Lake” and Matthew Warchus’ “Pride.”
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