Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival) for "Barton Fink", and in 2003, when Gus Van Sant won for his film "Elephant". 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
Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival) award twice. Film academic Andrew M. Butler regards jury prizes such as Cannes' as a way of helping a film gain a distribution deal. The following films were awarded the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival through the years. 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