1961 Cannes Film Festival

The 14th Cannes Film Festival took place from 3 to 18 May 1961. French writer Jean Giono served as jury president for the main competition. The Palme d'Or was jointly awarded to The Long Absence by Henri Colpi and Viridiana by Luis Buñuel. The festival also screened Shirley Clarke's debut film The Connection, due to the efforts of the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics. The success of the film caused the festival to create International Critics' Week the following year. The festival opened with The Joy of Living by René Clément. == Jury == === Main Competition === Jean Giono, French writer - Jury President Sergei Yutkevich, Soviet filmmaker - Jury Vice President Pedro Armendáriz, Mexican actor Luigi Chiarini, Italian filmmaker Tonino Delli Colli, Italian cinematographer Claude Mauriac, French writer and journalist Édouard Molinaro, French filmmaker Jean Paulhan, French writer Raoul Ploquin, French writer and producer Liselotte Pulver, Swiss actress Fred Zinnemann, Austrian-American filmmaker === Short Films Competition === Ion Popescu-Gopo, Romanian artist- Jury President Pierre Prévert, French Jurgen Schildt, Swedish journalist Jean Vidal, French Jean Vivie, French CST official == Official Selection == === Main Competition === The following feature films competed for the Palme d'Or: === Out of Competition === The following film was selected to be screened out of competition: Exodus by Otto Preminger === Short Films Competition === The following short films competed for the Short Film Palme d'Or: == Official Awards == === Main Competition === Palme d'Or: The Long Absence by Henri Colpi Viridiana by Luis Buñuel Prix spécial du Jury: Mother Joan of the Angels by Jerzy Kawalerowicz Best Director: Yuliya Solntseva for Chronicle of Flaming Years Best Actress: Sophia Loren for Two Women Best Actor: Anthony Perkins for Goodbye Again === Short Films Competition === Short Film Palme d'Or: La Petite Cuillère by Carlos Vilardebó Jury Prize - Best Short Film: Párbaj by Gyula Macskássy Short film Technical Prize - Special mention: Folkwangschulen by Herbert Vesely Fuego en Castilla by José Val del Omar == Independent Awards == === FIPRESCI Prize === The Hand in the Trap by Leopoldo Torre Nilsson Chronicle of a Summer by Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch === Commission Supérieure Technique === Technical Grand Prize - Feature film Special Mention: Her Brother by Kon Ichikawa Chronicle of Flaming Years by Yuliya Solntseva === OCIC Award === The Hoodlum Priest by Irvin Kershner === Other Awards === Gary Cooper Award: A Raisin in the Sun by Daniel Petrie == References == == Media == Institut National de l'Audiovisuel: Opening of the 1961 festival (commentary in French) INA: Eventful climbing of the steps at the 1961 Cannes Festival (commentary in French) INA: Sidney Poitier on the question of race (1961) (commentary in French) == External links == 1961 Cannes Film Festival (web.archive) Official website Retrospective 1961 Archived 2018-02-26 at the Wayback Machine Cannes Film Festival:1961 Archived 2010-03-08 at the Wayback Machine at Internet Movie Database