The 2025 Cannes Film Festival wrapped up recently after running from May 13 to May 24. As is typical with the France-based cinema event, those 12 days saw the premieres of numerous highly anticipated films both in and out of compeтιтion. Some of the in-compeтιтion favorites include Lynne Ramsey’s star-studded Die, My Love, and Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, both of which have generated hype. Out of compeтιтion but also screening at the festival was Highest 2 Lowest, Spike Lee’s anticipated remake of the Akira Kurosawa film High and Low.
The coveted Palme d’Or went to the film It Was Just An Accident, a film by Iranian director Jafar Panahi. The movie is considered an action thriller, telling the story of a small mishap that triggers a series of increasing problems. The initial Rotten Tomatoes score positions it with a 100% Tomatometer. One such positive review came from ScreenRant‘s Graeme Guttmann, who awarded the movie 8 out of 10 stars and noted that it was a “startling moral tale.” The positive reaction and Palme d’Or win begs the question of how it will do at the Oscars.
It Was Just An Accident Winning The Palme d’Or At Cannes Is Huge For Its Oscars Potential
Other Palme Winners Have Done Well At The Oscars
Winning the Palme d’Or is no small feat, and in the past, it has been highly indicative of being nominated for Oscars. Just this year, the Cannes Film Festival’s 2024 winner, Anora, went on to win Best Picture. A Cannes victory was also a precursor to a Best Picture win in 2019, with Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite winning both awards. Cannes is considered an elite film festival, where numerous high-caliber and well-respected directors typically have films in compeтιтion. As such, it is a good early awards predictor.
This is not a one-to-one pattern, as there have been films in the last decade or so that have done well at Cannes but did not connect with international audiences. Nonetheless, It Was Just An Accident winning at Cannes is a good sign for its potential Oscar performance come nominations at the top of next year. Getting the Palme d’Or will certainly make audiences more aware of the movie than they otherwise would have been.
The Palme d’Or Has Become A Strong Precursor For A Best Director Oscar Nomination
There Is One Notable Exception
Best Picture is also not the only award that It Was Just An Accident could be eligible for. Palme d’Or winners have also been a strong indicator of a Best Director nomination. Of the last five Cannes winners, four have gone on to score Best Director Oscar nominations: Bong Joon-ho (Parasite), Ruben Östlund (Triangle of Sadness), Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall), and Sean Baker (Anora). Two of these directors (Bong and Baker) won the prize. All three non-American directors were first-time nominees, which is especially good news for Panahi, who has yet to be nominated.
The Oscars did skip out on nominating one of the last five Palme winners: Julie Ducournau for тιтane. In fact, тιтane did not get nominated for any Academy Award nomination, which partially pokes a hole in the trend of the Cannes to Oscars pipeline. However, this film was in many ways the most off-the-wall movie to win the Palme d’Or in the last five years, and its out-there plot may have dissuaded audiences from nominating it. From early reviews, It Was Just An Accident is a more conventional Oscar-type film than тιтane, bettering its chances.
Will It Was Just An Accident Actually Be A Major Oscars Contender?
There Are A Lot Of Points In Its Favor
Data aside, there is a lot to consider when it comes to It Was Just An Accident‘s actual Oscar chances. Non-American films from Cannes typically have the opportunity to be nominated in the Best International Film category. However, this requires that a movie be selected by its producing country. Panahi himself has been outspoken against the Iranian government, which has landed him in jail twice. For this reason, Iran will be unlikely to select it for Academy Award consideration, leading the film to turn to either France or Luxembourg.
The country has won Best International Feature twice, both for films by director Asghar Farhadi.
Even if it were not submitted for Best International Feature, It Was Just An Accident‘s chances in other categories seem strong. American critics have liked the movie so far, contributing to its strong Rotten Tomatoes score. Panahi is also a political figure as much as he is an artistic one, often having to smuggle his films out of Iran. Considering recent wins for the documentaries No Other Land and 20 Days in Mariupol, his backstory may grab some attention from the voting body,
The growing profile of Iran’s film industry should also be noted when considering this movie’s Oscar chances. The country has won Best International Feature twice, both for films by director Asghar Farhadi. In a smaller category, this year’s Best Animated Short Film prize went to Iran’s In the Shadow of the Cypress. Even if not submitted by Iran for Best International Feature, this history and growing awareness of Iranian films is another point in the favor of recent Palme d’Or winner It Was Just An Accident.
