Queer Palm award at Cannes 2018

Along with Berlin's Teddy Award and Venice's Queer Lion, the Queer Palm is a major international film award dedicated specifically for LGBT cinema at Cannes Film Festival. The award recognises a film for its treatment of LGBT themes and gleans from among those nominated or entered under Official Selection, Un Certain Regard, International Critic's Week, Directors' Fortnight and the ACID section.

Our #EIUCpressoffice / #GCHumanRightsPress attended the Cannes Film Festival to promote Quality Education and was involved at the Queer Palm Award Ceremony on Friday 19 May 2018, where the Director Lukas Dhont was awarded for his film “Girl", which tells the story of a trans teen who desperately wants to become a ballerina (Girl also won the Camera d’or).

During the ceremony, Lukas Dhont said: "It's a very special moment for us receiving this prize the day after the Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. We strongly hope as a team that one day this day would not be necessary anymore, but we know that today it still is. So, therefore, we really strongly believe in speaking up and showing these characters that for us are courageous and that show us things that make us see, that make understand, that make us feel", and stated "I think we are ready for love".

The Jury of the Queer Palm, composed by Sylvie Pialat (President), producer, Pepe Ruiloba, programmer and coordinator of Premio Maguey award (Guadalajara Film Festival - Mexico), Dounia Sichov, actress, editor and producer, Morgan Simon, director, and Boyd van Hoeij, movie journalist (The Hollywood Reporter), stated: "The award goes to a film which is real filmmaking with beautiful acting. A film on a specific topic with a character whose quest for identity is really powerful. It is a great performance to be able to speak to each one of us on the biggest mystery in the universe: who are we and who do we want to be? A fantastic filmmaker is born, the jury unanimously agreed that the Queer Palm goes to GIRL by Lukas Dhont". Franck Finance-Madureira, journalist, founder of the Queer Palm, said that this year there was not just a large quantity of LGBT films, but also more sophisticated depictions of gay life than is often the case. More info: www.queerpalm.org.