“Captain Fantastic” writer and director Matt Ross wasn’t even in Cannes when he got a call saying that he was being considered for an award at the iconic film festival.
“Once a screening happens, everyone goes home,” Ross told TheWrap in a recent interview. “The hotels cost $9,000 every 10 minutes, or whatever, so everyone leaves because they can’t afford to stay there.”
But shortly after he skipped town to vacation in Paris with his wife and kids, Ross got a call saying that he should go back to Cannes because he was up for an award.
“We had one of those crazy, like, out-of-a-bad-romantic-comedy experiences,” Ross said.
With about three hours to pack, Ross and his family jumped in a cab to head to the airport — only to realize that they were taken to the wrong one. After they made it to Nice, they still needed to make the drive to Cannes.
“There’s so much traffic, we’re late to the awards ceremony, so we had to jump out. And we’re running through traffic and dodging [cars] in formal wear, in tuxedos, and sweating,” Ross said.
Luckily, the effort wasn’t for nothing: Ross took home the award for Best Director in the Un Certain Regard category.
“Captain Fantastic” follows the life of a father, played by Viggo Mortensen, who has raised his six children off the grid in the forests of the Pacific Northwest.
A tragedy then forces the family to reintegrate back into society.
The film, which first premiered at Sundance in January, hits theaters on Friday, July 8.
Watch the video above.