Photos by Venturelli/Getty Images

Celebrating the contribution of women to the film industry, the 17 May Presidential Dinner has also marked the launch of the first edition of the ‘Women in Motion’ initiative at the Festival de Cannes. By 2016, the program will include two ‘Women in Motion’ Awards: a first award honoring a remarkable contribution to the women’s cause, and a second one to distinguish a young and talented female filmmaker, to help young talented women gain visibility and recognition in the film industry.

As part of the first edition of the ‘Women in Motion’ program, designed to highlight and celebrate the contribution of women to cinema, and on the occasion of the Presidential Dinner which took place on Sunday 17 May, Kering and the Festival de Cannes have celebrated the commitment and exceptional career of the American actress, producer and philanthropist Jane Fonda, two-time Academy Award winner.

Jane Fonda, Megan Ellison and Olivia de Havilland honored during Kering and the Festival de Cannes Presidential Dinner_2

Photos by Venturelli/Getty Images

Kering and the Festival de Cannes have also honored the talented independent Hollywood producer Megan Ellison, founder of the production company Annapurna Pictures.

 

 

Organized by Kering and the Festival de Cannes, the Presidential Dinner of 17 May welcomed close to 200 guests Place de la Castre, on the hills of Le Suquet in Cannes. Pierre Lescure, President of the Festival de Cannes, Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate of the Festival de Cannes, and François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, have given their respective awards to both laureates of the evening: the committed American actress and producer Jane Fonda, and the American producer Megan Ellison. As co-hosts of the event, Kering and the Festival de Cannes have also paid a tribute to Olivia de Havilland, the first woman to be appointed President of the Jury of the Festival de Cannes in 1965, 50 years ago.

Among guests from the film industry, the Presidential Dinner has gathered the actresses Claudia Cardinale,Frances McDormand, Salma Hayek Pinault, Isabelle Huppert, Sophie Marceau, Julie Gayet, Clothilde Courau, Marilou Berry, Charlotte Le Bon, Golshifteh Farahani, Rossy de Palma, Li Bingbing, Gianna Jun, Nadine Labaki, Nandita Das as well as the actors Benicio del Toro, John Turturro, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tahar Rahim, Pierre Niney, Melvil Poupaud, Gilles Lellouche, Edouard Baer and Vincent Lindon.
Were also present the Coen brothers, the director and screenwriter Sylvie Pialat, the director, screenwriter and actress Tonie Marshall, the director Haifaa Al-Mansour, the director, screenwriter and producer Bertrand Tavernier, the director, screenwriter and producer Guillermo del Toro, the filmmaker and producer Abderrahmane Sissako as well the producer Anne-Dominique Toussaint and the costume designer and artistic director Rosalie Varda.
 
Were present as well Alessandro Michele, Creative Director of Gucci, Charlotte Casiraghi, Dennis Chan, Qeelin Creative Director, the singer, songwriter-composer-performer Rokia Traoré, the model Aymeline Valade and the fashion photographer Chen Man.