‘How to Have Sex’ Wins Cannes’ Un Certain Regard

This year’s selections for the competition included 20 feature films

how to have sex cannes
"How to Have Sex" (Cannes Film Festival)

Molly Manning Walker’s “How to Have Sex” was named the best film Friday of the Un Certain Regard competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

The UK director’s first film tells the story of three girls vacationing in Greece. The girl who is still a virgin expects to have slept with a boy by the time their trip is over, as do her two friends. She ends up losing her virginity to a guy on the beach, but she checks out during the process. The boy then makes unwanted advances on her while she is asleep. She wakes up to him ready to have sex with her, and resigns once more.

Mia McKenna-Bruce stars.

This year’s Un Certain Regard competition included 20 feature films, eight of which are also competing for the Camera d’or. The jury, chaired by actor John C. Reilly, included French director and screenwriter Alice Winocour, German actress Paula Beer, French-Cambodian director and producer Davy Chou and Belgian actress Émilie Dequenne.

“Augure (Omen),” directed by Baloji won the competition’s New Voice Prize. João Salaviza and Renée Nader Messora’s “Crowrã (The Buriti Flower)” won the Ensemble Prize. “Goodbye Julia,” directed by Mohamed Kordofani, won the Freedom Prize. Asmae El Moudir won the Directing Prize, and the Jury’s Prize went to “Les Meutes (Hounds)” directed by Kamal Lazrag.

Playwright and actor Jeremy O. Harris tweeted that Walker was late to the ceremony, capturing jury chairman Reilly singing to the audience until Walker arrived, sprinting into the hall.

The Un Certain Regard will close with the world premiere of “Une Nuit (Strangers By Night),” directed by Alex Lutz after the awards ceremony.

Cannes’ closing ceremony takes place Saturday, with Peter Sohn’s “Elemental” to conclude as the festival’s last official screening.

Standing ovations at the festival were given for Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City,” Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Indiana Jones” Dial of Destiny” starring Harrison Ford and “Jeanne du Barry” starring Johnny Depp.

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