#Inaugural Prix Luciole Awards Honor Poster Art at Cannes

The inaugural Prix Luciole Awards ceremony, celebrating artistic achievements in the field of film poster design, took place Friday at the Le Gray d’Albion hotel in Cannes.

Co-sponsored by China’s leading movie ticketing platform, Taopiaopiao, and the Paris-based Alliance Cinéaste Chine-Europe, the Prix Luciole aims to raise awareness of the importance of graphic design in the promotion of movies, and to honor work that demonstrates exceptional design concepts, strong emotional resonance and visual impact in film posters.

The Prix Luciole award for best poster, which carries an award of 1,000 euros, went to Belgian filmmaker Leonardo Van Dijl’s Julie Keeps Quiet. The jury praised the modern approach of the poster, photographed by Max Pinckers and designed by Sophie Keij, as well as its perfect balance of typography and photography, clever use of empty spaces and a powerful photo choice that delves into the character’s psychology.

The jury for the inaugural Prix Luciole consisted of Sheri Linden, a veteran film critic for The Hollywood Reporter; Lionel Avignon and Stefan de Vivies, the creative directors and founders of Hartland Villa visual design studio; and Thomas Pibarot, expert adviser for the Cannes festival’s Critics’ Week section.

Actor and screenwriter Wu Ke-Xi, who stars in director Constance Tsang’s Blue Sun Palace (nominated in the Critics’ Week section at the Cannes Film Festival and winner of Le Prix French Touch du Jury) presented the top prize, noting that “if we get a certain feeling from the poster, we can anticipate what kind of experience we will have in the dark cinema hall, and this is very important.”

The Jury Prize was awarded to the poster for Peter Ho-Sun Chan’s crime drama She’s Got No Name, created by Huanghai Studio. This poster was recognized for its compelling aura of mystery and suspense, and the handcrafted quality of an illustration that captures the feeling of an abruptly interrupted scene.

Special Mention was awarded to A Fireland, designed by Mona Convert, the film’s director. At the award ceremony, juror Pibarot said the poster stands out for its artistic collage work, and commended its “raw spirit” and “minimalist yet mysterious imagery that captivates the audience, making it a unique graphic artwork that stands out in a world often filled with clichés.”

The Prix Luciole also presented an audience award, based on votes from Taopiaopiao audiences. The winning poster for Black Dog, a drama by Hu Guan that received the top prize in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar, was celebrated for its traditional narrative spirit, reminiscent of poster art of yesteryear.

Like the poster for She’s Got No Name, it was designed by the Chinese design studio Huanghai, whose past designs have included posters for Hirokazu Koreeda’s Shoplifters and Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro.