Fur-st prize for Icelandic sheepdog at Cannes canine competition

Pallade Veneta - Fur-st prize for Icelandic sheepdog at Cannes canine competition

CULTURE 23.05.2025

Fur-st prize for Icelandic sheepdog at Cannes canine competition / Photo: Sameer AL-DOUMY - AFP

A sheepdog which features in Icelandic family drama "The Love That Remains" herded its way to a top prize for canine performers at the Cannes film festival on Friday, organisers announced.

Change text size:

The "Palm Dog" -- a play on the Palme d'Or which will be awarded to the best film on Saturday -- is a light-hearted celebration of mutts in front of the camera, which is now in its 25th year.

Icelandic director Hlynur Palmason cast his own pet, Panda, in "The Love That Remains", his poignant story about a couple navigating a separation and the impact on their family.

"This film that has won is about a family and it's so beautiful and so authentic to the vibe of a family," Palm Dog jury member Wendy Mitchell, author of the book "Citizen Canine", told reporters.

Mitchell praised "a wonderful naturalistic performance from this dog", addressing a crowd of influencers, pet lovers and journalists at a beach-front venue in Cannes.

The decision was greeted with cheers and barking, while Palmason sent a video of Panda looking bemused on the front seat of his car as the win was announced.

The second Grand Jury prize went jointly to two pooches who appear in rave-themed road trip movie "Sirat", including one that eats an LSD-laced poo.

Past Palm Dog winners have included Brandy from "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". That award was picked up by director Quentin Tarantino.

Tilda Swinton accepted the prize in 2021 on behalf of her real-life dogs for their roles in "The Souvenir".

H.Lagomarsino--PV

Jersey Boys Anniversary Tour Opens in Birmingham With Gritty Account of Crime and Fame

The 20th-anniversary tour of Jersey Boys has opened at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre, offering a gritty and unvarnished look at the Four Seasons’ journey. The production details the band's turbulent rise from New Jersey petty criminals to international rock stars, highlighting the complex personal costs behind their musical success.

UBC professor describes police call after Galloway remark as act of care

VANCOUVER — A University of British Columbia professor has testified about a colleague’s decision to call police to visit Steven Galloway after he was accused of sexual assault, describing it as an “act of care” toward the author, who had spoken of killing himself. Galloway, who is suing his accuser and others in a defamation trial centred on the unproven allegations, has described his subsequent committal to a hospital in the United States as “terrifying.

Pallade Veneta - Fur-st prize for Icelandic sheepdog at Cannes canine competition