1961 Cannes Film Festival 1961 Cannes Film Festival The 14th Cannes Film Festival was held from 3 to 18 May 1961. The Palme d'Or went to the "Une aussi longue absence", directed by Henri Colpi and "Viridiana", directed by Luis Buñuel. The festival opened with "Che gioia vivere", directed by René Clément. The festival also screened Shirley Clarke's debut film "The Connection" due to the efforts of the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics. The success of the film caused the festival to create International Critics' Week the following year. The following people were appointed as the Jury of the 1961 competition: Feature films Short
Cannes Film Festival appointed Honorary President in 2000, and in 2002, the Festival officially adopted the name "Festival de Cannes". During the 2000s, the Festival started focusing more on the technological advances taking place in the film world, especially the digital techniques. In 2004 the restored historical films of the Festival were presented as "Cannes Classics", which included documentaries. In 2007 Thierry Frémaux became General Delegate. In 2009 he extended the Festival in Buenos Aires, as "La Semana de Cine del Festival de Cannes", and in 2010 he created the "Cannes Court Métrage" for the Short Film competition. Festival Director Thierry Fremaux is