It wasn’t the warmest Cannes Film Festival looking at the weather the past 12 days, but things certainly heated up during the tabulations for the ICS Cannes Awards. When all the dust had settled, a woman came out on top: Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady On Fire, about a budding relationship between a female artist and her female muse in 18th century France, won the coveted ICS Palme d’Or.

Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, his Korean upstairs/downstairs thriller, won him the Best Director prize, although it should be said that the film was a hot contender in the Palme and Screenplay categories as well. Marco Bellocchio’s operatic, epic look at an important moment in Italy’s history with the mafia, The Traitor, won the Grand Prix, while Pedro Almódovar’s tender look back at his own life and career, Dolor y gloria, took home the Prix du Jury.

In the acting categories, Almódovar’s lead actor Antonio Banderas netted the Best Actor prize for essentially playing the Spanish master. On the female side, Virginie Efira won Best Actress for her ability to balance drama and comedy in a complex character in Justine Triet’s Sibyl. Finally, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood was the most sought after title in town this fortnight, but ended up with him winning the ICS Best Screenplay award.

The ICS Cannes Awards 2019 winners
Palme d’Or – Portrait of a Lady On Fire, by Céline Sciamma
Grand Prix – The Traitor, by Marco Bellocchio
Prix du Jury – Dolor y gloria, by Pedro Almódovar
Best Director – Bong Joon-ho, for Parasite
Best Actor – Antonio Banderas, for Dolor y gloria
Best Actress – Virginie Efira, for Sibyl
Best Screenplay – Quentin Tarantino, for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood