Cannes Film Festival 2024's Biggest Moments: Shocking Trump Scenes, Kevin Costner's Emotional Debut and More

On Saturday night, the curtain comes down on this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The jury, headed by Barbie director Greta Gerwig will announce the best of the festival at the closing ceremony, but for many visitors the most glamorous event of the year has already ended. There were many moments on stage and behind the scenes that made these two weeks unforgettable, and PEOPLE were there for it all.

The best photos from Cannes 2024, updated daily

Celebrities overwhelmed with emotions

The festival got off to an emotional start when Juliette Binoche couldn’t hold back her tears as she presented Meryl Streep with the honorary Palme d’Or at the opening ceremony.

Streep tried to comfort her by putting her hand on her shoulder, but to no avail. The moment was nevertheless a joyous one for the Oscar winner, who joked the next morning: “I don’t have any respect at home, so it’s amazing to come into this arena and have that big tidal wave. It will be matinee (this morning), I was a little nervous. I didn’t go to sleep until 3!”

Delivering hidden rich fashion moments on the Croisette, Streep would reveal that she thought her career was “over” when she was 39.

Meryl Streep recalls ‘Intimate’ Out of Africa Shampoo scene with Robert Redford: ‘I didn’t want it to end’

Also, the normally stoic Kevin Costner couldn’t contain his emotions during his guest appearance in Cannes. The 69-year-old actor and director tried to remain composed for much of his 11-minute standing ovation as his passion project received a standing ovation Horizon: An American Saga played out.

But in the end, Costner was overcome, fighting back tears in the cinema. “I’ll never forget this,” he said, as the room continued to roar with applause for the first film of his planned four-part western drama.

Meryl Streep had an unforgettable night when she received the Palme d’Or in Cannes.

Andreas Rentz/Getty

Star Wars Creator George Lucas, who will be honored with his own Palme d’Or at Saturday night’s closing ceremony, has revealed a surprising passion he let go after having children.

“I love racing,” he said at the May 24 Q&A festival. “I participated in celebrity races, but by then I was already divorced and had one daughter, and then I adopted two more [kids]. I [once] was close to a big explosion and everyone said, ‘My God.’ The car that exploded wasn’t me, but I realized that all the people around me were saying, ‘Please don’t do that. Yes, you might not die, but you might be crippled for the rest of your life and have three kids to look after. You’re the only one they have.’ I was a single father. I thought, okay.” Lucas then focused on making movies, and the rest is cinematic history.

A-list exits

The red carpet at the Palais is always a glamorous place for celebrity couples. This year, Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky were the ones who couldn’t take their eyes off each other. on Furiosa: The Mad Max Saga premieres, the couple (who both appear in the film), held hands tightly. Only Anya Taylor-Joy, in full Old Hollywood glamour, was able to break the grip when she briefly grabbed both of Pataky’s hands and the two exchanged smiles.

Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky had a glamorous date in Cannes.

Portfolio Rocco Spaziani/Archivio Spaziani/Mondadori via Getty

On May 17, Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst were on a date together at the premiere of Plemons’ film Kinds of kindness. Dunst rubbed her smiling husband’s back as they waited to step onto the bustling red carpet, where she held his hand as he wrapped his arm around her waist. After the film, during the six-minute applause, Dunst could be seen proudly clapping for her husband.

Shocking movie moments

Maria Bakalova, director Ali Abbasi and Sebastian Stan debut ‘The Apprentice’ in Cannes.

Andreas Rentz/Getty

The festival always makes sure there are at least a few awkward moments. Most of the shocks came – surprisingly not thanks to David Cronenberg’s new film Cover it starring Diane Kruger — but from director Ali Abbasi intern, a fictionalized story about a young Donald Trump starring Sebastian Stan and Maria Bakalova as Trump and his first wife Ivana.

The film shows Trump sexually assaulting his wife, after he tells her he’s no longer attracted to her, and Ivana retorts that her orange, balding husband might want to look in the mirror. The audience reacted predictably to the disturbing scene, squirming in their seats – the film also got a reaction when his Trump goes under the knife for liposuction and scalp reduction.

The Trump campaign has since called the film “garbage” and says it will sue “to address the patently false claims of these fake filmmakers.”

Not to be outdone, Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest film with Emma Stone, Kinds of Courtesy, it also included moments of mutilation and other memorable scenes that viewers watched from their fingers. That didn’t dampen the spirits of a cheerful Stone, who the next day at a press conference for the film expressed her delight that a reporter in the room called her by her birth name, “Emily.” “That’s my name!” she said excitedly to Lanthimos, who seemed to have learned something new.

Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Joe Alwyn at the premiere of ‘Kinds Of Kindness’.

Gisela Schober/Getty

Stone’s Kindness costar Joe Alwyn also stepped into the spotlight for the first time since the release of his ex Taylor Swift’s new album, Department for tortured poets (which includes subtle references to their relationship). But Cannes remained elegant, and all the questions at the press conference for Kindness remained focused on the film.

“I just trust him,” Alwyn said of working with Lanthimos on his latest twist story, which is told in three separate chapters with the main actors playing different roles. “Reading the script, it’s bizarre and weird and crazy and special, sure, but if you tried to unpack it too much, I think you’d just get stuck in your head.”

Wrong red carpet moment

Nothing on those iconic red-carpeted stairs leading up to the Lumière Theater goes unnoticed, and certainly no one missed the confrontation between Kelly Rowland and a security guard that went viral on May 21.

At the premiere for Marcello Mio, the Destiny’s Child alum was climbing the stairs when a security guard tried to pull her away. Rowland and the security guard got into an argument, which was caught on video. “The woman knows what happened. I know what happened,” Rowland, 43, told The Associated Press at the amfAR gala on Thursday night. “I have a limit and I stick to that limit and that’s it.”

“There were other women who were on that carpet who didn’t really look like me, and they weren’t scolded, pushed or told to get off,” she added. “I stood my ground and she felt she had to stand her ground. But I stood my ground.”

Cher turns back time

Cher wowed with her performance at the amfAR gala.

Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

The AmfAR gala at the Cannes Film Festival is always glamorous, and this year it was also raucous, with guests getting a lesson in politeness from Demi Moore, who debuted her new film Substance while in Cannes. The actress bluntly silenced the audience before introducing Cher, the host of the evening. “She’s a Grammy winner, an Oscar winner, an Emmy winner. Are you an Emmy winner over there in the back of the room? Shit, I don’t think so,” she scolded.

With guests in attendance at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc affair including Michelle Yeoh, Andie MacDowell, Heidi Klum, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and Colman Domingo, the evening raised $16 million for amfAR, which dedicates funds to research AIDS.

And no one’s attention was divided after Cher took the stage. The pop icon delivered a powerful four-song set, wearing a bodysuit similar to the one she wore in her 1989 music video for “If I Could Turn Back Time.” Joe Jonas also made a surprise appearance, joining his brother Nick Jonas in a lively amfAR guest medley.

Demi Moore praises Cher as ‘my personal hair inspiration’ at amfAR Gala: ‘She’s a style icon’

Hot Afterparties

Selena Gomez wowed in the red debut of ‘Emilia Perez’.

Dominique Charriau/WireImage

Cannes isn’t Cannes without late-night rosé on the beach. After each gala screening, the cast goes to an exclusive afterparty at a destination along the Croisette.

For the movie Emilia Perezstars Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña and Edgar Ramirez toasted on the roof of the JW Marriott, while Chanel paired up with director Francis Ford Coppola for Megalopolis premiere party at Petite Maison, the restaurant where Jeff Bezos celebrated his engagement last year.

Francis Ford Coppola brings his granddaughter Romy, 17, to the premiere of the film in Cannes Megalopolis

In Lucia, Nikki Beach Hospitality Group’s new restaurant, afterparty for Horizon and Trainee attracted many famous faces. Costner’s big success was celebrated by Scott Eastwood, who mingled in the VIP area with a cast that included Luke Wilson and Sienna Miller (who attended with boyfriend Oli Green).

Challengers‘ Mike Faist, who was in town for his New Generation Award from Chopard, also made sure the party was a late-night destination.

The next evening the party for Traineesponsored by Perrier Jouet, attracted Cate Blanchett — who had just celebrated her own film Rumors at Lucia’s — return to the restaurant for a repeat. Blanchett stayed at the party until 1:30 in the morning

Also at the party was Evan Ross, who told PEOPLE at the amfAR gala that he had a great time in Cannes. “Maybe too much fun,” he joked. There is no such thing in Cannes.

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