Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival) Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival) The Best Director Award () is an annual award presented at the Cannes Film Festival for best directing achievements in a feature film screened as part of festival's official selection (i.e. films selected for the competition program which compete for the festival's main prize Palme d'Or). Awarded by festival's jury, it was first given in 1946. The prize was not awarded on 12 occasions (1947, 1953–54, 1960, 1962–64, 1971, 1973–74, 1977, 1980). In addition, the festival was not held at all in 1948 and 1950, while in 1968 no awards were given as the
Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival) Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival) The Jury Prize () is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival, chosen by the Jury from the "official section" of movies at the festival. According to film critic Dave Kehr, the award is "intended to recognize an original work that embodies the spirit of inquiry." In 1946, a prize named International Jury Prize was awarded for that year only. Starting from 1951, the Special Jury Prize ("Prix spécial du Jury") was awarded among other secondary prizes. In 1954, after a lot of criticism about the whimsical nature of these awards, the Festival authorities