The Cannes Film Festival announced the winners of the Un Certain Regard competition during the 78th edition of the event, held in the coastal city of Cannes, France. The awards ceremony took place on Friday, May 23, 2025, at 8:00 PM in the Debussy Hall—a well-known screening venue for critics, journalists, and film writers. The Un Certain Regard section, known for spotlighting new talents in global cinema, featured 20 films from around the world.
The jury for this year’s Un Certain Regard competition was chaired by British director, screenwriter, and cinematographer Molly Manning Walker. Other members included French-Swiss director and screenwriter Louise Courvoisier, Vanja Kaludjercic from Croatia—director of the International Film Festival Rotterdam—Italian filmmaker Roberto Minervini, and Argentinian actor Nahuel Pérez Biscayart. Together, they evaluated the entries and selected the winners in several categories.
The top honor, the Un Certain Regard Prize, was awarded to “The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo,” directed by Diego Céspedes. This film was a co-production between Chile, France, Germany, Spain, and Belgium. The Jury Prize went to “A Poet,” directed by Simón Mesa Soto, a collaboration between Colombia, Germany, and Sweden.
In the Best Directing category, the award was shared by Arab Nasser and Tarzan Nasser for their film “Once Upon a Time in Gaza,” an international co-production involving France, Palestine, Germany, and Portugal. The Best Actor Award was presented to Frank Dillane of England for his performance in “Urchin,” directed by Harris Dickinson. Meanwhile, Cleo Diára from Portugal received the Best Actress Award for her role in “I Only Rest in the Storm,” directed by Pedro Pinho.
FInally, Best Screenplay Award was given to Harry Lighton from the UK for his work on the film “Pillion.” This year’s Un Certain Regard selection also included nine debut feature films eligible for the Caméra d’Or Award, which celebrates the best first feature across all Cannes sections. The 2025 opening film for Un Certain Regard was “Promised Sky,” directed by Erige Sehiri.
