Honoring talented women

Through its Awards, Women In Motion celebrates female talents in cinema and photography. Each year, two awards are presented at Cannes: the Women In Motion Award honors a leading figure whose career has sought to raise the profile of women in cinema. The Emerging Talent Award pays tribute to a promising female film director, offering them financial support. In Arles, Women In Motion has supported the Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles since 2016 and created the Women In Motion Award for photography in 2019.

2024 award winners

During its annual dinner, Women In Motion honored its award winners at the 77th Festival de Cannes. The Women In Motion Award was presented to Dame Donna Langley, Chair and Chief Content Officer of NBCUniversal Studio Group, by François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering as well as the President and General Delegate of the Cannes Film Festival, Iris Knobloch and Thierry Frémaux. The Emerging Talent Award went to Malaysian filmmaker Amanda Nell Eu. 

During the Sœurs Jumelles Festival in June, Women In Motion announced its Emerging Talent in Music Award. Singer-songwriter, Solann, becomes the first to receive this grant designed to recognize creative talent. 
Then, in July, as Kering officially renewed its partnership with Les Rencontres d’Arles, the Women In Motion Award for photography was presented to Ishiuchi Miyako during the festival’s 55th edition. Born in Japan’s Gunma Prefecture in 1947, the artist offers us a unique perspective on the role of women in Japanese society and in photography, as captured through her Belongings exhibition which is held in the Salle Henri-Comte, in Arles. To celebrate talented young women, Kering also supported the Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles-Rencontres d’Arles, which was given to Tshepiso Mazibuko.

Women In Motion honored its award winners at the 76th Festival de Cannes, as it has every year since the program’s creation in 2015. The 2023 Women In Motion Award was presented to internationally acclaimed Malaysian-born actress and producer Michelle Yeoh by François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, Iris Knobloch, President of the Festival de Cannes, and Thierry Frémaux, Director of the Festival de Cannes. The Emerging Talent Award went to Swiss director Carmen Jaquier.

As part of the eighth edition in Cannes of Women In Motion, François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering and Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate of the Festival de Cannes, presented the eighth Women In Motion Award to American actress and producer Viola Davis. The Young Talent Award was given to Swedish director Ninja Thyberg.

Kering and Rencontres d'Arles present the fourth Women In Motion Award for photography to Babette Mangolte. Born in France in 1941 and based in New York since the 1970s, Babette Mangolte is a filmmaker, photographer, artist, and author of critical essays on photography.

To further contribute to the recognition of women’s talent, Amina Kadous wins the Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles, supported by Women In Motion.

At the 74th Festival de Cannes, the Women In Motion Award, kept secret until the last moment, was presented to the campaigning actress, producer and director, Salma Hayek. The Young Talent Award was given to Australian director, Shannon Murphy, following her acclaimed first film, Milla.
Kering is stepping up its commitment to women photographers through its partnership with the Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles. The second Women In Motion Award for photography pays tribute to the career and commitment of the Russian-Ghanaian photographer, Liz Johnson Artur.

In partnership with Les Rencontres d’Arles, the 2020 Women In Motion Award for photography has been given to Sabine Weiss. As the last remaining representative of the humanist school of photography, the work of Sabine Weiss is dedicated to portrayals of people’s daily lives and to capturing their emotions.

To support the cinema industry and young creators, Kering and the Festival de Cannes were determined to maintain the Young Talent Award this year, despite the cancellation of the 2020 festival’s edition. The 2020 Young Talent Award was presented to Italian film director, Maura Delpero.

2019 award winners

In 2019, the fifth Women In Motion Award was presented to Gong Li, an iconic figure of Chinese cinema and the first Chinese actress to have achieved success at the major international festivals. The Young Talent Award was presented to German film director, Eva Trobisch.

Susan Meiselas, the American documentary photographer, was presented with the first Women In Motion Award in Arles for her work on women’s lives and her singular and committed stance. The Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles was given to Evangelia Kranioti.

The Women In Motion 2018 award was presented to the film director, film producer, and screenwriter, Patty Jenkins, best known for having directed Wonder Woman. The 2018 Young Talents Award was presented to Carla Simón for her film, Summer 93.

For its third edition, the Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles was given to Wiktoria Wojciechowska. 
 

The actress, Isabelle Huppert, a global cinema icon and the face of the third edition of the program, was presented with the Women In Motion Award 2017. The Young Talents Award was presented to the film director and screenwriter, Maysaloun Hamoud.

In 2017, the Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles was awarded to Paz Errázuriz. As part of the Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival in China, Women In Motion supported the Madame Figaro Women Photographers Award presented to Guo Yingguang.

The 2016 Women In Motion Award was presented to Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, both actors and film producers who have shown a long-standing commitment to gender equality. The film directors, Leyla Bouzid, Gaya Jiji and Ida Panahandeh were the award winners for the first edition of the Young Talents Award.

Women In Motion expanded into the world of photography in order to contribute to the recognition of female talents and supported the Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles, given to Laia Abril in 2016.
 

For its first edition, the Women In Motion Award honored the actress, film producer and philanthropist, Jane Fonda, for her extraordinary career. A Special Award was presented to film producer, Megan Ellison.