CANNES: The Cannes Film Festival closing ceremony got underway Saturday after a major power outage struck southeastern France due to what police suspected as arson.

The ceremony and the awarding of the festival鈥檚 top prize, the Palme d鈥橭r, remained as scheduled during the hours-long outage due to an alternative power supply. But a few hours before stars began streaming down the red carpet, power was restored in Cannes.

Laurent Hottiaux, the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes department, condemned 鈥渟erious acts of damage to electrical infrastructures鈥�

But as stars including Jane Fonda, Cate Blanchett and Elle Fanning arrived on the red carpet, and attention turned to who might win the Palme d鈥橭r.

The Grand Prix award went to Joachim Trier鈥檚 family drama, 鈥淪entimental Value.鈥�

Kleber Mendon莽a Filho won the best director award for the Brazilian political thriller 鈥淭he
Secret Agent.鈥�

The jury prize went to two films: the Morocco-set 鈥淪ir芒t鈥� and the generation-spanning German drama 鈥淪ound of Falling.鈥�

Also among the winners Saturday were best actress for Nadia Melliti in 鈥淭he Little Sister鈥� and best actor for Wagner Moura for his starring role in 鈥淭he Secret Agent.鈥� A special prize was given to Bi Gan鈥檚 sci-fi film 鈥淩esurrection.鈥�

One of the big questions heading into the ceremony was whether Neon could extend one of the most unprecedented streaks in movies. The past five winners in Cannes have all been released by the indie distributor, including last year鈥檚 victor and eventual best-picture Oscar winner, 鈥淎nora.鈥�
On Saturday, Neon could make it six in a row, adding to its Palmes for 鈥淧arasite,鈥� 鈥淭itane,鈥� 鈥淭riangle of Sadness,鈥� 鈥淎natomy of a Fall鈥� and 鈥淎nora.鈥� As far-fetched as that might sound, it might even be likely.

Four of the most widely acclaimed film of the festival 鈥� Trier鈥檚 鈥淪entimental Value,鈥� Jafar Panahi鈥檚 revenge thriller 鈥淚t Was Just an Accident,鈥� Filho鈥檚 鈥淭he Secret Agent鈥� and 脫liver Laxe鈥檚 desert road trip 鈥淪ir芒t鈥� 鈥� will be distributed in the US by Neon.

No one knows which way the nine-member jury headed by Juliette Binoche might vote. Their deliberations are done privately, and there are several other films seen as contenders. But critical reception is often a decent guide to what鈥檚 in the mix at Cannes.

Other films will strong support include Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Logznitsa鈥檚 period drama 鈥淭wo Prosecutors鈥�; Richard Linklater鈥檚 New Wave ode 鈥淣ouvelle Vague鈥�; and Spanish filmmaker Carla Sim贸n鈥檚 personal coastal tale 鈥淩omeria.鈥�

Saturday鈥檚 ceremony brings to a close a 78th Cannes Film Festival where geopolitics cast a long shadow, both on screen and off. Shortly before the French Riviera extravaganza, which is also the world鈥檚 largest movie market, US President Donald Trump floated the idea of a 100 percent tariff on movies made overseas.

Most filmmakers responded with a shrug, calling the plan illogical. 鈥淐an you hold up the movie in customs? It doesn鈥檛 ship that way,鈥� said Wes Anderson, who premiered his latest, 鈥淭he Phoenician Scheme鈥� at the festival.

That was one of the top American films in Cannes, along with Spike Lee鈥檚 鈥淗ighest 2 Lowest,鈥� the Christopher McQuarrie-Tom Cruise actioner 鈥淢ission: Impossible 鈥� Final Reckoning鈥� and Ari Aster鈥檚 鈥淓ddington.鈥�