THE TREE OF LIFE Wins the Palme d’Or at the 2011 Cannes Festival

The 2011 Cannes Film Festival award winners were announced today, and I’m excited about just how many are already set for American distribution.  Despite mixed (yet still reverent) buzz for Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life took home the Palme d’Or (Cannes’ top honor) before it hits theaters on May 27.  Likewise, Kirsten Dunst overcame the controversy Lars Von Trier inflicted on Melancholia to win Best Actress; Magnolia acquired the film in February.  Nicolas Winding Refn won Best Director for Drive, scheduled for release on September 16 courtesy of FilmDistrict.  Jean Dujardin won Best Actor for his role in The Artist — you wouldn’t expect a silent black-and-white French film to be a hot commodity, but The Weinstein Company picked up The Artist for release later this year.  And Sundance Selects will bring us The Kid with a Bike, the latest from the Dardenne brothers, after it tied with Once Upon a Time in Anatolia for the Grand Prix (the runner-up prize to the Palme d’Or).

It sounds like a good year for Cannes, yielding a bountiful crop that we’ll all be able to experience soon enough.  Hit the jump for the full list of winners.

Palme d’Or
The Tree Of Life — Director: Terrence Malick

Grand Prix (tie)
The Kid with a Bike — Directors: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
Once Upon A Time In Anatolia — Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Best Director
Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive

Best Actor
Jean Dujardin for The Artist

Best Actress
Kirsten Dunst for Melancholia

Best Screenplay
Joseph Cedar for Footnote

Jury Prize
Polisse — Director: Maïwenn

Best First Film
Las Acacias — Director: Pablo Giorgelli

Short Film Palme d’Or
Cross-Country — Director: Maryna Vroda