Cannes, Thursday, May 17th 2024 – Since 2001, the Trophée Chopard has been an emblem of Caroline Scheufele’s enduring passion for cinema. An integral part of the official Cannes Festival calendar, it annually rewards actresses and actors who have made a promising start to their careers. During this year’s emotional ceremony, Demi Moore, the stunning Godmother of this 24th edition, handed the precious award to Sophie Wilde and Mike Faist.
In the enchanting setting of the Carlton Beach Club on La Croisette, just a stone’s throw from the Palais des Festivals and its iconic steps, the Trophée Chopard was a dazzling spectacle. Created to support emerging film talent, the Trophée Chopard is a highly coveted prize awarded each year at an official dinner during the Festival.
Iris Knobloch, President of the Cannes Festival and Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate; along with Chopard Co-President Artistic Director Caroline Scheufele, welcomed their guests for an evening filled with a shared passion for cinema and a dedication to nurturing new talent.
The winners were chosen by members of the Académie du Trophée Chopard, composed of Laureates, Godfathers and Godmothers of previous editions. After a retrospective of Sophie Wilde’s and Mike Faist’s careers, they were handed their prize – a gold-coated silver film reel – by Demi Moore, the Godmother of this 24th Edition.
The deeply moved Laureates were warmly applauded by a host of celebrities from the world of filmmaking, including President of the Cannes Festival jury Greta Gerwig, Members of the Cannes Festival jury Eva Green, Ebru Ceylan, Lily Gladstone, Nadine Labaki, Juan Antonio Bayona, Pierfrancesco Favino, Kore-Eda Hirokazu and Omar Sy; President of Un Certain Regard jury Xavier Dolan; Members of Un Certain Regard jury Maïmouna Doucouré, Asmae El Moudir, Vicky Krieps and Todd McCarthy; Co-Presidents of the Caméra d’Or jury Emmanuelle Béart and Baloji; French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati; Kevin Costner; Eva Longoria; Isabelle Fuhrman; Julie Gayet; Carla Bruni; Maria Borges; Jonas Poher Rasmussen; Delphine Gleize; Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar; Ramata-Toulaya Sy; Dimitri Rassam; Reece Feldman; Yousra; Saba Mubarak; Mathieu Kassovitz; Valérie Donzelli; Lukas Dhont; Thalia Besson; Arnaud Binard; Mattias Schweighofer; Ruby O Fee; Bill Kramer; Allen Cheney; Cemre Ebuzziya; Grace van der Waal; Elsa Zylberstein; Laetitia Dosch; Illiona Blanc; Shetty Omara; Samuel Le Nihan; Sidonie Dumas; James Franco; Ryan Donnell Smith; Guan Hu; Liang Jing; Zhou You; Tong Liya; Raymond Lam; Janet Yang; Meryem Uzerli; Ludovica Coscione and Marina Buy Barbosa.
The dinner prepared by two Michelin-starred chef Bruno Oger delighted guests with flavours from southern France: Florentine cream with garden herbs, courgette flower with smoked aubergine caviar in a sesame-chickpea cream, grilled sea bream in a Provençal sauce with Vandouvan spices, Tahitian vanilla vacherin and berries for dessert.
During the evening, Qatari artist Dana Al Fardan captivated the audience with the music from her latest album, Indigo, staging a multi-sensory audio-visual experience that fosters connectivity and mindfulness through light, colour, and sound.
Caroline Scheufele invited the guests to continue the celebration on the Chopard Rooftop at the Hôtel Martinez. On this stunning terrace, offering exceptional views over La Croisette and the sea, Alessandro Ristori and the Portofinos kept the energy alive, performing songs inspired by 1960s and 1970s Italian music and British pop rock. A veritable bundle of energy, Ristori owned the Rooftop, getting guests up and dancing. It was a fitting end to an evening permeated by the kind of emotions that only recognition of talent and a foretaste of a bright future can bring.
The Trophée Chopard, beacon of hope
In over two decades, the Trophée Chopard winners have brilliantly fulfilled the expectations placed upon them. From Marion Cotillard who scooped an Oscar in 2008 for her performance in Olivier Dahan’s La Vie en Rose; to Léa Seydoux who was awarded a Palme d’or in 2013; Diane Kruger, who won the Best Actress prize at Cannes in 2017; Niels Schneider, who earned a César Award for Most Promising Actor in 2017; along with Florence Pugh and Jessie Buckley who were nominated for Oscars just a few months after being honoured in 2019 and 2021, this award has often paved the way for an international career.
