# Cannes judges and criteria? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannes-judges-and-criteria/254530 "2004-07-11T04:40:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Resalg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cab0a1/32.png) [@Resalg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Resalg)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannes-judges-and-criteria/254530/1 "2004-07-11T04:40:02Z")
How many judges vote for the prizes at the Cannes film festival, who are they, and what is the criteria they use? I ask, wondering what are the superior qualities in _Fahrenheit 9/11_ that earned it the grand prize. Forget the politics, why is it a “great” film? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannes-judges-and-criteria/254530/2 "2004-07-12T15:44:13Z")
From the [Cannes website](http://www.festival-cannes.org/lefestival/jury.php?langue=6002): > [@](#): > > The Feature Films Jury is composed of its President and nine foreign and French personalities. The Jury awards prizes by chosing among the feature films in competition of the Official Selection. Since 1997, this international Jury has been exclusively made up of artists, directors, actors and auteurs… The Jury is obliged to award the Palme d’Or, the Grand Prix, the prize for the Best Performance by an Actress and by an Actor, the prize for the Best Director and for the Best Screenplay. The jury is empowered to confer one more award called the Prix du Jury whose nature is determined each year. For a film like _F9/11_, I think it’s impossible to forget the politics. Since the Palme d’Or winners have been a decidedly mixed batch in the past (quality-wise), a lot of what goes into the awards is often based on the temperament of the jury that particular year. Much has also been attributed to the power of the Jury President, who often does much to direct the jury toward’s one film or another (it’s thought that Soderbergh’s _sex, lies, and videotape_ won its year because Wim Wenders was the president). Plus, don’t forget that there are only a few dozen films in competition, so a particularly weak year might often produce a less conventional choice. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannes-judges-and-criteria/254530/3 "2004-07-12T20:01:11Z")
Politics aside, IMO the strongest aspects of **Fahrenheit 9/11** are its editing and its presentation. Editing: The movie flows very smoothly for the most part. There are no abrupt jumps, no jarring segues, no unnecessary scenes. Every part of the movie is there for a reason, and builds to a patriotic crescendo that sweeps up the audience. He also avoids the more radical anti-Bush assertions some folks make, which keeps the film very focused. Presentation: Moore makes no bones about the fact that his movie is an attempt to show George W. Bush as an incompetent leader who’s bungled the war on terror. Even when you discount his opinions, Moore makes a compelling argument for his thesis – the assembly of facts and interviews is not something that can be casually dismissed (especially when you look at the [references](http://www.michaelmoore.com/warroom/f911notes/) he used). He also makes careful use of humor and comic timing to avoid smothering the viewer; despite the film’s heady subject, you end up feeling refreshed after watching it. **Fahrenheit 9/11** is not the best film ever made, but neither is it a two-hour screed of rants and raves. It is, in an odd way, a very patriotic, feel-good, invigorating movie that affirms the fundamental values of the United States – it just happens to do it by attacking a President whom Moore feels has betrayed those ideals. If the criteria for an award-winning movie is one that makes you feel better for seeing it, **F911** accomplishes that handily.