Cannes Film Festival jury presidentSpike Lee made a mistake during the festival's closing ceremony.- Lee mistakenly announced the winner of the Palme d'Or, "Titane," at the start of the ceremony.
- The host and Lee's jury members were clearly stunned, as that award was meant to be last.
The glitzy, glamorous
The Palme d'Or, the festival's biggest prize, was meant to be given out last (like the Academy Awards give out best picture last), but when the host of the closing ceremony, Doria Tillier, asked jury president Spike Lee which award was due to be presented, Lee jumped the gun and announced "Titane" as the winner.
Tillier quickly tried to hush Lee up, but it was too late. Lee, aghast with his mistake, had let the proverbial cat out of the bag - while his other jury members were left stunned and in laughter.
"Inglourious Basterds" actress Melanie Laurent, in particular, was left reeling from the mistake. She continuously laughed throughout the rest of the awkward ceremony in which language barriers and dual winners added to the chaotic feel of what was meant to be festival's most prestigious night.
After Lee's slip up, Tillier and presenters continuously made jokes about the mistake, while Lee looked truly sorry as the rest of the awards were given out.
Lee almost announced the Palme d'Or award too early again later on in the night, leading to more hysterics from Laurent and other jury members including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Song Kang-Ho, and Tahar Rahim, the latter of whom was seen translating the French speaking presenters into Lee's ear.
Eventually, Lee and presenter Sharon Stone announced the category together, confirming that it was indeed Julia Ducournau's explosive French body horror movie "Titane" that won the biggest prize of the Cannes Film Festival.
"Titane" follows a woman who has sex with a car, becomes impregnated by it, and then assumes the identity of a long lost boy. The divisive movie has split opinion at Cannes, but most had already predicted "Titane" as the Palme d'Or winner.
There were more awkward moments in the messy ceremony, as the Grand Prix prize had two winners. One jury member seemed to forget this, however, and Gyllenhaal had to step in and announce the second winner. The winners were "A Hero" and "Compartment Number 6."
The awkward winners speeches was punctuated by laughter from the crowd as the winners didn't know whether to take the award themself or give it to the other as there was only one physical prize. Meanwhile, best actor winner Caleb Landy Jones (for "Nitrum") had possibly the best reaction to winning of the night - he was so overwhelmed he could hardly speak, yelling thanks into the mic before saying "I can't do this" and exiting stage right.