Not only humans take center stage at the Cannes Film Festival. On Friday, the ‘Palm Dog’ award, presented annually by international critics for the best canine performance, was announced.
This year’s winner is an Icelandic sheepdog named Panda, recognized for her role in the film ‘The Love That Remains’ by Icelandic director Hlynur Pálmason.
Pálmason’s tragicomic film, which premiered out of competition at Cannes, explores the lives of five characters, including Panda, over a year following the end of a marriage.
Although Panda could not attend the award ceremony, a local dog standing in for her was present to receive the coveted collar, alongside one of the film’s human producers. Despite her absence, Panda expressed her gratitude through a video filmed by her owner and director, Hlynur Pálmason, during a road trip in Iceland.
Panda, an Icelandic sheepdog who won the Palm Dog award this year for starring in ‘The Love That Remains,’ was not able to attend the event, but recorded a video to accept the prize. Watch:
https://t.co/ihulyBwpVv
pic.twitter.com/bkW6Z8upXw— Reuters Showbiz
(May 24, 2025)
The ‘Palm Dog’ ceremony, held at the seaside, takes place a day before the announcement of the Palme d’Or winner of the festival. Last year’s winner was a dog named Kodi from ‘Dog on Trial.’
