Cannes 2025: Jafar Panahi’s ‘It Was Just an Accident’ wins Palme d’Or, a staggering sixth straight triumph for Neon

Power outages may have shrouded the French Riviera in literal darkness on the final day of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, but the Palais still managed to deliver an electric finale. Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi took home the Palme d’Or for his absurdist drama, It Was Just an Accident, marking both a personal and political victory for its maker, but also for U.S. distributor Neon, now six-for-six in Cannes’ top prize.

The win signals a powerful comeback for Panahi, who was under a 20-year filmmaking ban until the Iranian government finally relented. It Was Just an Accident is his first film made with legal sanction in over a decade. In it, Panahi explores themes of justice and trauma through five former prisoners who believe they’ve found the prosecutor who once tortured them, that are informed by real conversations Panahi had during his own imprisonment.

“This Palme d’Or is not just for me,” Panahi said in a statement, “but for every artist who dares to speak truth to power… The most important thing is our country and the freedom of our country. Let’s arrive at this moment, together, when no one dares to say what we should wear, what we should or shouldn’t do.”

Neon’s acquisition of the film midway through the festival now makes it the distributor of six consecutive Palme winners — Parasite, Titane, Triangle of Sadness, Anatomy of a Fall, Anora, and now It Was Just an Accident. The feat has elevated the indie outfit to near-mythic status on the Croisette and positions the film as an immediate Oscar contender, particularly in the international feature and director categories.

But Panahi wasn’t the only filmmaker to leave Cannes with momentum. Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value took home the Grand Prix, effectively the runner-up prize. A family drama about a filmmaker father reconciling with his estranged actress daughter by casting her in his most personal film yet, Trier described his work as “an alternative language of unification” in a moving acceptance speech.

Trier, whose The Worst Person in the World previously made Oscar noise in 2022, could very well find himself back in the awards conversation — and this time with a shot at Best Picture, especially given Neon’s backing and the Academy’s growing openness to international narratives.

The Jury Prize was split between two of the competition’s most audacious entries: Olivier Laxe’s Sirat, a soul-searching road movie, and Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling, an ambitious century-spanning film that drew praise from critics. The shared win likely represents this year’s jury’s appreciation for formal experimentation, something that may not translate directly to the Oscars, though both films could very well sneak into categories like international feature or screenplay.

Best Director went to Kleber Mendonça Filho for The Secret Agent, a political thriller set during Brazil’s military dictatorship. Its lead, Wagner Moura, also nabbed the Best Actor prize for his role as a father on the run. Given the Academy’s recent embrace of international political dramas including I’m Still Here, The Zone of Interest and All Quiet on the Western Front; The Secret Agent could mount a campaign across several categories, particularly if Brazil selects it as its official Oscar entry, fresh of its win from last year.

In a breakout performance, Nadia Melliti won Best Actress for Little Sister, a coming-of-age drama that also took home the Queer Palm. Directed by Hafsia Herzi, the film’s dual wins may mirror the path of Emilia Pérez, which debuted at Cannes last year before making waves (and controversy) during awards season.

The screenplay prize went to stalwarts Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for Young Mothers, an exploration of teenage pregnancy. While the Dardennes are Cannes royalty, the screenplay award can often be a bellwether for Oscar nominations, particularly in the original screenplay category.

Other notable awards included the Prix Spécial for Bi Gan’s sci-fi epic, Resurrection and the Camera d’Or for Hasan Hadi’s The President’s Cake, a landmark win as the first Iraqi film ever awarded at Cannes. Hadi’s feature about an unassuming baker suddenly elected president during wartime, has already drawn distributor interest and could be a dark horse in the international race if Iraq submits it.

Of the 21 films in competition, several notable names went home empty-handed — among them Wes Anderson (The Phoenician Scheme), Julia Ducournau (Alpha), and Ari Aster (Eddington). But Neon’s other picks fared better: beyond It Was Just an Accident, the company also backed Sentimental Value, Sirat, and The Secret Agent — all of which earned major awards, solidifying its astonishing domination at Cannes.

The Academy itself continues to deepen its relationship with the festival. Its private networking mixer during Cannes has become an unspoken campaign launchpad. With the last three Palme d’Or winners — Triangle of Sadness, Anatomy of a Fall, and Anora — all becoming Best Picture nominees, Cannes is clearly back in the Oscar conversation as a major precursor.

If history is any indicator, It Was Just an Accident could very well be a frontrunner in the 2026 awards race. And with Neon steering the ship, it wouldn’t be surprising if it’s another Palme-to-Oscar trajectory.

Full List of 2024 Cannes Winners:

Palme d’Or: It Was Just an Accident, Jafar Panahi

Grand Prix: Sentimental Value, Joachim Trier

Best Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho, The Secret Agent

Best Actor: Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Best Actress: Nadia Melliti, Little Sister

Jury Prize (Tie): Sirat, Olivier Laxe and Sound of Falling, Mascha Schilinski

Prix Spécial: Resurrection, Bi Gan

Best Screenplay: Young Mothers, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

Camera d’Or: The President’s Cake, Hasan Hadi

Camera d’Or Special Mention: My Father’s Shadow, Akinola Davies Jr.

Queer Palm: Little Sister, Hafsia Herzi

Palme Dog: Panda, The Love That Remains