From the time it first took place in 1946, the Cannes Film Festival has been dominated by male directors. Here are some milestones over the years when they did recognize the contributions of women.
1946:
Barbara Virginia, the first female Portuguese movie director, also becomes the first woman in competition at Cannes when the inaugural festival accepts her film “Tres Dias Sem Deus” as part of the lineup.
1954:
Two women are chosen for the main competition for the first time: Carmen Tocano for the documentary “Memories of a Mexican” (which she co-directed with her father Salvador) and Japanese actor-director Kinuyo Tanaka (above) with “Love Letter.”
1957:
Mexican-born actress Dolores del Rio becomes the first woman to serve on the Cannes jury.
1961:
For the first time, Cannes’ best director award is won by a woman: Yuliya Solntsevaa Russian filmmaker who wins for her World War II drama “The Story of the Flaming Years.”
1965:
Olivia de Havilland is named the first female president of the jury.
1968:
Swedish actress and director Mai Zetterling becomes the first woman to be selected for the main competition a second time.
1993:
Jane Campion wins the Palme d’Or for “The Piano,” making her the first (and so far the only) female director to take home Cannes’ top prize.
1998:
Women make up 50 percent of the Cannes jury for the first time, with five of the 10 seats going to writer-director Zoe Valdes and actresses Chiara Mastroianni and, left to right, Sigourney Weaver, Lena Olin and Winona Ryder.
2009:
With the jury slimmed down to its current size, nine members, women are a majority for the first time. Actress Isabelle Huppert, center, is president, with actresses Sharmila Tagore, Robin Wright, Asia Argento and Shu Qi also serving.
2013:
Two actresses, Lea Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos, are pointedly awarded the Palme d’Or for “Blue Is the Warmest Color” alongside their male director, Abdellatif Kechiche. They remain the only performers to be so honored.
2017:
Sofia Coppola becomes the second woman to win Cannes’ best director award, which she receives for “The Beguiled.”
