speech festival telephone

8 - 10 June 2024

Venue sponsor dalton school hong kong, application closed, event categories, nursery rhyme.

The piece performed must be memorised and recited in spoken format, without melody. No props are allowed.

Age 3 years

Ages 4 - 10 years, ages 5 - 12 years, reading aloud.

The piece performed must be read aloud from the text which should be held in the hand and referred to, not memorised. No props are allowed.

Ages 6 - 10 years

Public speaking.

Each speaker may speak for up to 3 minutes. An easel will be available if the speaker wishes to use a presentation board but this is not compulsory. Cue cards are allowed and optional.

Ages 8 - 12 years

Find your event, the event age is the age your child will be on 11 june 2024.

Please note that your child's event age and current age may not be the same

Please select your child's event age from the bar below TO access the performance pieces

Mary Had a Little Lamb

VENUE SPONSOR

Dalton school, 10 hoi fai rd, tai kok tsui, hong kong.

Competition schedule will be announced via email

(email sent from  [email protected] ) in April 2024.

NJSDL ONLINE SPEECH FESTIVAL SERIES

Published by david yastremski on october 30, 2021 october 30, 2021.

Your school is invited to participate in the 2021-2022 New Jersey Speech and Debate League Online Speech Festivals.  These festivals are designed to provide students an avenue to develop and share their public speaking and performance skills in a convenient, educational, and fun way! 

Teachers will upload videos of student performances to be evaluated by a selection of educators and experienced judges!  Students will receive commentary and feedback aimed at helping them improve their speaking, performance, and communication skills!

Students will receive recognition for their video submissions along with feedback from the evaluators! Teachers will also receive school recognition to display in their classroom, offices, or trophy cases! 

Schools do not need to be members of the NJSDL to attend. See the invitation for more details.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AV95jaNztY5eq5T084qvI6igmLxfQbEZldjY-QVta3s/edit?usp=sharing

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Speech Festival

*NEW* Click to access audio files for the 2023 Solo verse poems*

*Click to access the audio files for the 2022 Solo verse poems*

Speech Festival 2022 was once again in pre-recorded form But that didn't prevent our particpants from a strong showning. 

Rizvi - Putri- Setiamawan(4c 22) placing 3rd in her group for her Solo recital of a 'Televised surprise' by David Harmer.

Teacher in Charge: Ms. Aisha 

Rizvi-Putri-Setiamawan(4C 22) and Khadeeja(4C 12) placing third in group for their Dramatic Duologue peformance of the 'Little Match Girl'

Teacher in charge: Mr. Wattie

Asif Mohammad Yousaf Khan(3B 05) placed 3rd in Group for his Solo rectial of 'An Alphabet Trip Through Space' by Angi Holden

Teacher in Charge: Mr. Dev

Mohamed Sabreen(3B 18)  won 1st in Group for her Solo rendition of 'The Snowman by Roger McGough.

Teacher in charge: Ms. Sobia

Secondary 2 Boys Solo Group [3rd Prize 20 20 ]

Rahman md aniq 2b (2 2 ) .

Performing ' The Blackout ' by John Mole , Aniq was to convey the undu lating emotions experienced for just a brief moment by a traveller following his awakening to a completely dark hotel room in the middle of the night. The emotions expressed by the poem takes quite a twist from being in a sort of fright and suspense in stanzas 1-6 to one of relief in stanzas 7-10.  Yet Aniq managed to juggle with those subtle mood changes so tactically and masterfully in his delivery, which eventually earned him a 3rd Prize. 

Secondary 2 Boys Solo Group [2nd Prize 2019]

2b 16 sadiq abdul hameed zoraiz.

Performing "A Small Dragon" by Brian Patten, Zoraiz displayed his lyrical and performing prowess, convincing his audience and the adjudicator that he just made a small but big discovery in a woodshed. In the past two years, he has placed in the Top 3 in his group.

Secondary 5-6 Duologue Group [Champion 2018]

Mr. wattie (net) ; asiya yu 5c(21) ; fatima waheed 5c(6).

Performing 'Wait Until Dark' by Frederick Knott, our girls had to depict a blind mother and her estranged daughter that somehow are connected to a murder that they had no idea about. They practiced for 2 months non-stop and had lots of laughs in between which amounted to their excellent showing. 

The Festival Speech Synthesis System

• Online demo
• Technical online demo with more voices

Current version

Current personnel.

• Alan W Black (CMU)
• Rob Clark (CSTR)
• Korin Richmond (CSTR)
• Junichi Yamagishi (CSTR)
• Keiichiro Oura (Nitech)
• Simon King (CSTR)

Past Personnel

• Paul Taylor
• Richard Caley

Mailing lists

Other resourses.

INTERNATIONAL ​SPEECH

Harmony tree, welcome to the htisf journey.

Harmony Tree International Speech Festival (HTISF) is a Drama & Speech competition hosted by HT Canada.   This annual event aims to provide a valuable out-of-classroom experience for students aged 4-18 across Asia  through poetry, literature, public speaking and theatre. HTISF is more than just a competition. It is an inspiring journey that students continue to grow and flourish. Its qualifications, recognized by top-class institutions worldwide, foster a global perspective for students and provide a significant platform for them to learn and shine.

Verse Speaking

Prose Reading

Public Speaking

Dramatic Duologue

Festival Timeline

 Festival Stages & Timeline

Sep 30, 2024

Oct 31, 2024 by 23:59 (GMT+8)

​Feb 28, 2025

Late May / Early June, 2025

Summer 2025

Registration Deadline

Video Submission Deadline

1st Round Result Release

Asia Grand Final (Virtual, Zoom Live)

HT20 Celebration & Award Ceremony

Format & Fees

​Age Groups

Entry Fees 

Born in 2019-20 ; 2017-18 2015-16 ; 2013-14 ​2011-12 ; 2009-10

Born in 2015-16 ; 2013-14 ​2011-12 ; 2009-10 ​2006-08

1st round by video submission

The overall top 50 of each category and age group will reach the Asia Grand Final virtually by Zoom Live

1st Round Syllabus

VERSE SPEAKING

Guidelines & Pieces

- Choose one from the two set pieces

- Piece must be performed from memory, without holding the script.

- The title and the author of the piece have to be announced.

- No hand props or costumes. 

- Shall perform while standing up with good posture.

PROSE READING

- Only one set piece provided per age group.

- Piece shall be held in hand(s) and read from. No memorized presentation.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

- Choose one from the two set topics.

- Must write and present an original script by the Contestant.

- The chosen topic has to be announced.

- Speech exceeding time limit will be cut short. Cue cards optional.

- Choose one from the two set pieces.

- The title, author of the piece and character played have to be announced.

- Performance shall not exceed the time limit.

- Blocking shall be designed and developed.

- Simple set (ie 1 table, 2 chairs) allowed. Bulky items shall be avoided.

DRAMATIC DUOLOGUE

- Both contestants must perform in the same space  simultaneously.

- The piece can be chosen based on interest & ability, regardless of gender.

- The title, author and each character played have to be announced.

Rules & FAQs

• Who can sign up for HTISF? All students who are currently attending school (or home-schooled) in Asia are welcome to enter for the Harmony Tree International Speech Festival - Asia Division. There are various age groups for different categories. Students may enter for more than one category but they must only enter for the age group that matches with their year of birth.
• How can I sign up for HTISF? Contestants can enter via the online system and complete payment directly on this website. Click the category intended, select the right age group and fill in the contestant info. You can add multiple categories and/or multiple contestants in the same cart and click check out to complete payment. Alternatively, contestants can download the paper form (in PDF). Fill it in and return the form by email. You will be sent a PayPal link to complete payment via credit / debit card. You do not need to set up a PayPal account for payment. Schools, Arts Organizations, Educational Centers or Teachers who intend to enter a group of students to HTISF are encouraged to sign up for an Educational Membership to centralize the registration process and enjoy further benefits. Only members are eligible for group entries. It’s the responsibility of the contestants to ensure that information given on the entry form is valid, complete and meet the requirements of respective categories. HTISF bears no responsibility for checking of the eligibility of the entry. Please also ensure the correct spelling of names (to be printed on Certificate) before entries submitted.
• What are the entry fees and what do they include? Entry Fees are calculated in US dollars and shall be settled by credit / debit card via the PayPal platform. Verse Speaking - USD32/entry Prose Reading - USD40/entry Public Speaking - USD40/entry Monologue - USD40/entry Dramatic Duologue - USD58/entry (for one pair). The fees include an evaluation report and a globally-recognized* certificate issued by HTISF (for those who successfully complete the 1st round) and a pennant, if applicable (for Grand Final's top 5 winners only). The evaluation report contains comments, marks and qualification details. Dramatic Duologue is evaluated as a team, therefore contestants will only receive one evaluation report (two certificates and pennants, if applicable). There is no need to register or pay again in the case of reaching the Grand Final.
• When is the deadline for registration? The registration deadline is Sep 30, 2024 (Mon). Under no circumstances will late entries be accepted. Entry will only be confirmed upon receipt of full payment. Entry fees are non-refundable and unchangeable. Contestants will receive their unique Contestant ID (one ID per entry) for video submission within four business days upon successful registration.
• Dramatic Duologue Pairing For Dramatic Duologue, each performance must comprise of two contestants from the same age group. Substitution or swapping of contestants will not be accepted. A contestant shall be a part of only ONE duo. An individual who involves in more than one pairing is not permitted. The two contestants must perform in the same space simultaneously. (Filming videos separately and editing them together for one performance will not be accepted.) Violation of these rules will lead to disqualification for all concerned contestants. Contestants shall select the piece based on their interest and ability, regardless of gender restrictions. (e.g. a duo with two female contestants are welcome to perform a piece with two male characters, and vice versa.)
• I noticed that there is a HTISF Taiwan Division, is it the same? There are two divisions of HTISF - Asia & Taiwan in the 2024-25 edition. The Taiwan division was created years ago to promote the usage of English language through performing arts, in support of the government's goal of becoming a fully-bilingual nation by 2030. The Taiwan division focuses more on building awareness and generating interest of English learning for students in a local level, with a face-to-face grand final to be held annually. It is an inclusive edition with pieces suitable for all-level learners while the materials for the Asia division are generally more challenging. The Taiwan division is only open for students currently study (or home schooled) in Taiwan. For information about the Taiwan division, please visit www.harmonytree.tw.
• Are there set pieces or can I select my own choice? There are set pieces/topics provided for each category and age group. Please refer to the syllabus and pieces available for download on this website. Contestants must follow the set pieces designed for HTISF, with no edits or alterations made to the materials. Please ensure that contestants have entered for the correct age group/category, and downloaded the correct pieces. Performing the wrong piece from another category, age group or division will lead to disqualification. There will be new set pieces and materials designed for the Grand Final, to be released on Feb 28, 2025, the same day as the 1st round result announcement.
• Consent & Acknowledgement Your entry acknowledges that you have read, agreed and understood the terms and conditions for HTISF. Harmony Tree has your consent to the use of information, materials, photographs and videos submitted for marketing and publicity arrangements. Submission of an entry implies consent from the contestants to abide by these Rules and Regulations and to strictly observe them. If any dispute arises, Harmony Tree International reserves the right to make all final decisions.
• Who can I contact if I have any questions? Please feel free to email us at [email protected]. Our Facebook Page (@HarmonyTreeIntl) is able to accept DMs.

HTISF Certificates

Harmony Tree Canada issues HTISF certificates based on the marks and levels achieved by contestants with grades including   Distinction ,  Merit and   Pass respectively. HTISF qualification is recognized by  top institutions from the US, UK, Canada and Australia , with a number offered entrance or performing arts scholarships exclusively for HT.

Group Entry

Group entry is open for valid Educational Members (schools, art organizations, educational centers, teachers etc). Members are eligible for benefits such as centralized registration process, group discounts, workshops, private award presentations, member's name to be printed on contestants' certificates and more. Educators across Asia are welcome to join the membership. 

Professor Tiffany Lin Dept of Children English Education, NTUE

De Facto Ambassador Jim Nickel Director, Canadian Trade Office in Taipei

Hong Kong Speech Festival - Solo Verse Tips and Advice

The Hong Kong Speech Festival (English speech) is upon us again and that means a lot of students are preparing for their solo verses. As usual, the poems require the students to immerse themselves in the poet’s words and showcase their ability to convey emotions in order to score high marks.  And as always, this is the most difficult part for any participant in these competitions. Students will definitely need speech festival training and practice

Most schools will provide some basic guidance on what students need to do. Teachers will probably go over procedures, the format and provide simple training. Unfortunately, teachers usually can’t help each individual student and that’s why parents often look for speech festival training help on their own. Here we’ll talk about a few tips to help your children improve.

• Students need to memorize the entire poem and be able to say each word correctly. If there are any mistakes, points will be deducted. For example, if the poem writes “the snake in the grass” and the student says “a snake in the grass”, they’ll lose marks for this error.
• Building on saying each word correctly, students also need to be sure they enunciate well. This means that each word should be said clearly and each syllable is audible. Students should practice saying the multi-syllable words in the poem with specific emphasis on saying the ends of the words. Special attention on hard sounds in English, like “t” and “ck”, should be recognized. The organization still emphasizes British pronunciation, so if you can, try to have them practice with this in mind.
• The theme or central idea of the poem should be understood by the student. If they don’t understand what the poem is about, they probably can’t relay it to the audience. For example, if the poem is somber, and the student recites it in a happy way, it shows that they didn’t understand the poem very well.
• The student needs to understand every word in the poem. They need to understand how it’s used to convey the poet’s ideas and feelings. If they don’t understand the words, they won’t know if they need to emphasize it. Sometimes poets play with words in order to create a new feeling or idea and students need to be able to recognise this.
• Volume, syllable stress and timing play a huge role in getting the overall tone of the poem down. Knowing when to slow down, pause, get louder and then focus on certain parts of words give the dramatic effect that leads to high marks.
• Emotions seen through the face and heard through the voice are usually what determines if the student will score high or not (if they do the previous tips well). The student really needs to “dive into” the poem. For example, this year the P3 boys solo verse is “Elephant Walking” by Clive Sansom. In this poem, the speaker is an elephant in search of water. How do you convey the emotions of an elephant? You have to teach the student that the poet is attaching his human emotions onto the elephants in the poem. If the poet or an elephant sees a tiger, wouldn’t they both feel scared? Students have to show the emotions/feelings of the poem accurately and correctly in order to get high marks.

These tips should help students who are preparing for their poems by giving them more focus on what they need to improve on. In most cases, students need to work on all of the focus points above so it truly is a lot of work. There are a few resources online, but a lot of useful ones can be found on youtube . Just type in the name of the poem on the list and you’ll be able to hear and get some analysis on the poems.

We’re also here to help students. Please contact us if you want specialized Speech Festival Training and Practice from one of our qualified tutors. Good luck and practice hard!

For more vocabulary lists, check these out!

Secondary School List #1 Secondary School List #2 Secondary School List #3

Primary School List #1 Primary School List #2

100+ Most Important Words – HKDSE

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NJSDL May 2024 Speech Festival

General information

This is a High School tournament in New Jersey .

View manager contact information

• October 2023 NJSDL Online Speech Festival Registration and videos due by October 15, 2023; Asynchronous Judging 10/16/23-10/19/23  
• December 2023 NJSDL Online Speech Festival Registration and videos due by December 3, 2023; Asynchronous Judging 12/4/23-12/7/23  
• May 2024 NJSDL Online Speech Festival Registration and videos due by May 3, 2024; Asynchronous Judging 5/4/24-5/9/24
• The October 2023 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
• The December 2023 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
• The May 2024 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• Congressional Debate Authorship Challenge ( May 2024 Legislation Packet )
• Prepared Prompt ( May 2024 Prompts )
• Orginal Spoken Word Poetry (May 2024 submissions should celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month)

The other NJSDL events offered will be:

• Children's Literature (HS Only)
• Dramatic Performance (MS & HS)
• Humorous Performance (MS & HS)
• Prose Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Poetry Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Program Oral Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Original Oratory (MS & HS)
• Informative Speaking (MS & HS)
• Declamation (MS & HS Freshman/Sophomores)
• Pro Con Challenge (MS & HS using the current Policy, LD or PFD Topics)

Manager contact information

Raymond Shay Email address: [email protected] Phone number: 6107160344

Mailing address

Box #337 203 Main Street Flemington, NJ 08822

• Middlefield
• Strawberry Park
• Desert Hills
• Avery Ranch
• Independence
• Pond Springs
• Salt Lake City
• Traverse Mountain
• West Jordan

Butte County Office of Education

• Elementary Schools
• Middle Schools
• High Schools
• Student Services
• Student Events
• Speech Festival Camp

About Speech Festival Camp

• Recite a monologue with meaning and feeling
• Improve public speaking skills
• Learn to feel at ease in front of a group of people
• Learn to create a tolerance for exposure
• Be able to think on your feet

2023-2024 Event Details

Previous year's highlights.

• Academic Decathlon
• Great Kindness Challenge
• High School Voter Education Week
• Juried Art Show
• National History Day
• Poetry Out Loud
• Spelling Bee
• Junk Robotics Workshop
• Red Ribbon Week
• Vex Robotics League

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Raoul peck’s ‘ernest cole’ shares cannes’ l’oeil d’or prize for best documentary with ‘the brink of dreams’.

• Cannes Film Festival Winners Analysis: Comedy, Humanity Takes Jury’s Heart Over Politics

By Pete Hammond

Pete Hammond

Awards Columnist/Chief Film Critic

More Stories By Pete

• Cannes Film Festival 2024: Read All Of Deadline’s Movie Reviews, Including Palme d’Or Winner ‘Anora’
• 1964 Palme d’Or Winner ‘The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg’ Celebrates 60th In Cannes With Special Screening & Two New Documentaries – Cannes Film Festival

Often, the juries at the Cannes Film Festival will try to make a political statement in their choices for the winners of the world’s most famous film festival. Not this year. At least, not in the way they might have.

I rather thought that director Mohammad Rasoulof would take the Palme d’Or for his stirring The Seed Of The Sacred Fig . It deals with the oppressive regime in Iran and the crisis in one family, where the daughters rise up to protest against the wishes of their father, a judge handing out death sentences for those who make their voices heard.

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He made his way to Cannes, where his film deservedly received a rapturous welcome yesterday on the festival’s last night of screenings. Alas, the jury, headed by Greta Gerwig, handed the film only a “Special” Jury Prize, not even one of the major awards given. And though it gave Rasoulof a world platform to talk about the many reasons this film was necessary in today’s tinderbox environment in his country and elsewhere, a Palme d’Or for a film whose lead actors still can’t even leave the country would have been a major statement.

This special award was really as close as anything political that this jury got, even though films they completely ignored, such as the Donald Trump origins movie, The Apprentice ( which Trump and his lawyers have a cease and desist complaint against); Paul Schrader’s Oh Canada, which deals in part with resistance against an unjust war; Kiril Serebbrennikov’s Luminov-The Ballad, about a controversial Russian activist, with a sensational lead performance by Ben Whishaw; and even Francis Ford Coppola’s divisive Megalopolis, which contains some of the legendary director’s urgent concerns about the state of the world, were all completely shut out.

But the top honor, Palme d’Or, is a raucous wildly entertaining comedy, Anora , from director Sean Baker, that blew the roof off the Grande Lumiere, and represents yet another Palme d’Or win for NEON, which seems to triumph every single year (they will also be releasing The Seed Of The Sacred Fig). It is a hilarious, rollicking movie with superb performances by the astonishing Mikey Madison in the title role, Mark Eydelshteyn, a real find, Yura Borisov, and Karren Karagulian.

Its win resembles the Palme d’Or for Triangle Of Sadness, and it bodes well for its Oscar chances, since the latter film went on to three major nominations, including Best Picture, and was just as outrageous as this one (more on this year’s potential Oscar connection with Cannes will be coming soon in another column). However, the most “political” this movie got would be Baker’s plea for better treatment of sex workers.

The Grand Prix (second place) went to India’s first appearance in competition in 30 years, with the heartfelt All We Imagine As Light from director Payal Kapadia. It is about a number of women as they relate to the city of Mumbai in which they go about their daily lives. Definitely a mood piece and slow moving, it still seems hard to resist its beauty and comment on humanity, and people just getting by day by day.

The acting prizes including the four-way “harmony of sisterhood” award to Emilia Perez’s Zoe Saldanan, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz, was a nice compromise, since they are all great in this Spanish language film from a French director. It’s about a cartel leader who decides to change his life and his sex and find a different path.

For Best Actor, I have to say Jesse Plemons is always very fine. But the film for which he was honored, Yorgas Lathimos’ Kinds Of Kindness, is flawed and received a mixed reception at best. I am sorry that The Apprentice’s Donald Trump of Sebastian Stan and Roy Cohn of Jeremy Strong, plus Limonov’s Ben Whishaw, were ignored here. But it was probably because of the political message a win for them might send, my guess at least. They were more deserving.

The screenplay award to French director Coralie Forgeat for the wild English language body horror movie comedy, The Substance, was well-deserved, another great example of a brilliantly written, directed, and performed satire, for which Demi Moore would have been a fine Best Actress winner as well. It has much to say about our youthful obsession and body image taken to the extreme limits. I would call it Ozempic: The Movie . It’s wild and it has put Moore back on the map.

I missed Grand Tour , the Burmese period fantasy story that somehow won Miguel Gomes the Director prize. Its overall reception had been kinda meh, so its win here was a bit of a surprise. But you never know with juries.

Palme d’Or winner Sean Baker’s (‘Anora’) acceptance speech #Cannes2024 pic.twitter.com/FrfJ2rceT9 — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) May 25, 2024

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‘Anora,’ film from N.J. director Sean Baker, wins Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or

• Updated: May. 25, 2024, 10:02 p.m. |
• Published: May. 25, 2024, 6:02 p.m.

Director Sean Baker with the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Stephane Cardinale | Corbis via Getty Images

• Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Independent film maestro Sean Baker has won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival in France — the Palme d’Or.

The director (” The Florida Project ,” “ Red Rocket ,” “ Starlet ,” “ Tangerine ”), who hails from New Jersey , wins for his new film “ Anora .”

Baker has long drawn praise for his work’s originality, humor and the way he approaches stories about people on the margins, including sex workers and porn stars. He dedicated his Cannes win to all sex workers.

In “ Anora ,” a much-lauded dramedy that Baker wrote and directed, Mikey Madison stars as Anora, a Brooklyn sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch.

Baker wrote the character for Madison (”Scream,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”).

RELATED: Sean Baker interview - Growing up in Jersey, working at the movie theater, driving taxis and more

“This isn’t exactly a mainstream movie,” Baker, 53, said at the Palme d’Or press conference after his win Saturday. “But hopefully this wonderful win will help get it into multiplexes and maybe remind mainstream audiences that these films still exist.”

He said he leaned more into comedy with this film than his previous work.

Baker, a Summit native who grew up in Short Hills and Branchburg, got his start filming movies in the woods as a child, later working as a projectionist at a local movie theater and driving a taxi in Somerville. (”That was the best learning experience for somebody like me who’s trying to do character studies and focus on human behavior,” he told NJ Advance Media in 2021.)

Sean Baker and "Anora" star Mikey Madison at Cannes. JB Lacroix | FilmMagic

At the Cannes press conference, Baker lamented the closure of movie theaters and the perils facing theatrical exhibition but also took heart in a “rising film culture” in American cities.

“What I think this does is that it’s gonna help me to continue making the movies that I like to make and I’m going to continue in my wheelhouse,” he said.

Baker’s last film, the raucous, funny “ Red Rocket ,” stars Simon Rex as a faded porn star who returns to his Texas hometown. That film was Baker’s first to compete at Cannes.

He produced “Anora” with his wife, Samantha Quan, who also worked on “Red Rocket” and “The Florida Project,” which landed an Oscar nomination for star Willem Dafoe.

Stories by Amy Kuperinsky

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Thank you for reading. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at [email protected] and followed at @AmyKup .

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This combination photo shows Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on May 1, 2024, in Waukesha, Wis., left, and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. during a campaign event, Oct. 9, 2023, in Philadelphia. Trump is addressing the Libertarian National Convention Saturday, May 25, 2024, courting a segment of the conservative electorate that's often skeptical of the former president's bombast while trying to ensure attendees aren't drawn to independent White House hopeful Kennedy, Jr. AP/AP hide caption

Trump is a Republican. RFK is a Democrat. They're both wooing Libertarians

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Trump and RFK aren't Libertarians, but are speaking at the party's convention

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Cannes Awards: Female-Centered Stories Win Big in Cannes, as Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’ Earns Palme d’Or

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

• Cannes Awards: Female-Centered Stories Win Big in Cannes, as Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’ Earns Palme d’Or 2 days ago
• ‘The Most Precious of Cargoes’ Review: An Animated Fable From the Director of ‘The Artist’ Finds Hope in the Holocaust 3 days ago
• ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ Review: Repression Hasn’t Chastened Mohammad Rasoulof, Who Responds With a Marathon Domestic Critique 3 days ago

CANNES — Nine years after being named one of Variety’s Directors to Watch, Sean Baker won the Palme d’Or for “Anora,” a rowdy whirlwind romance between an exotic dancer (Mikey Madison) and the obscenely rich son of a Russian oligarch (played by Mark Eydelshteyn). Baker is the first American filmmaker to cinch the festival’s top prize since Terrence Malick earned the Palme for “The Tree of Life” in 2011.

Popular on Variety

“Call My Agent” star Camille Cottin hosted the awards for the 2024 Cannes Film Festival , where Greta Gerwig presided over a majority-female jury comprised of Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona, Turkish actor-screenwriter Ebru Ceylan, Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino, American actor Lily Gladstone, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Lebanese actor-director Nadine Labaki and French stars Eva Green and Omar Sy.

Cottin playfully interrupted actor Laurent Lafitte’s presentation of the first award to ask whether his speech had been written by ChatGPT. Playing off that joke, the best screenplay prize went to French director Coralie Fargeat for the “bold, beautifully bonkers” (in Green’s words) cosmetic-surgery horror show “The Substance,” which stars a still-stunning Demi Moore as a has-been Hollywood beauty and Margaret Qualley as the younger, more perfect doppelganger with whom she agrees to split her time.

The jury broadened the usual best actress category to celebrate what Lily Gladstone called “the harmony of sisterhood” in “Emilia Pérez.” Directed by former Palme d’Or winner Jacques Audiard (“Dheepan”), the Mexico-set musical — about a cartel boss who disappears in order to reemerge as a woman — stars Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and trans star Karla Sofía Gascón. The film also won the jury award.

Best actor honors went to Jesse Plemons, who plays three roles — a submissive businessman, a grieving police officer and a bisexual cult member — in “Kinds of Kindness,” a surrealist satire from “Poor Things” director Yorgos Lanthimos.

The jury created a special award — greeted with an enthusiastic standing ovation — for Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, who attended the Cannes Film Festival at great personal risk, fleeing an eight-year prison sentence for making political drama “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” The three-hour film examines the country’s recent Women, Life, Freedom movement through a middle-class family whose two daughters question their father’s role in the regime.

Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes won the directing award for “Grand Tour,” which blends black-and-white and color footage, period reenactments and contemporary anthropological glimpses, in telling the early 20th-century story of a British civil servant who attempts to flee his fiancée by hopping from one Asian country to the next.

The Camera d’Or prize for best first feature went to Halfdan Ullman Tondel’s “Armand,” while a (non-standard) special mention went to Directors’ Fortnight selection “Mongrel,” co-directed by Chiang Wei Liang and You Qiao Yin.

Full list of prizes below.

COMPETITION

Palme d’Or: “Anora,” Sean Baker

Grand Prix: “All We Imagine as Light,” Payal Kapadia

Director: Miguel Gomes, “Grand Tour”

Actor: Jesse Plemons, “Kinds of Kindness.”

Actresses: “Emilia Pérez”

Jury Prize: “Emilia Pérez”

Special Award ( Prix Spécial ): Mohammad Rasoulof, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”

Screenplay: Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance”

OTHER PRIZES

Camera d’Or: “Armand,” Halfdan Ullman Tondel

Camera d’Or Special Mention: “Mongrel,” Chiang Wei Liang, You Qiao Yin

Short Film Palme d’Or: “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent,” Nebojša Slijepčević

Golden Eye Documentary Prize: “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found” and “The Brink of Dreams”

Queer Palm: “Three Kilometers to the End of the World”

Palme Dog: Kodi, “Palm Dog”

FIPRESCI Award (Competition): “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Mohammad Rasoulof

FIPRESCI Award (Un Certain Regard): “The Story of Souleymane,” Boris Lojkine

FIPRESCI Award (Parallel Sections): “Desert of Namibia,” Yoko Yamanaka

UN CERTAIN REGARD

Un Certain Regard Award: “Black Dog,” Guan Hu

Jury Prize: “The Story of Souleymane,” Boris Lojkine

Best Director Prize: (ex aequo) “The Damned,” Roberto Minervini; “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl,” Rungano Nyoni

Performance Awards: “The Shameless,” Anasuya Sengupta; “The Story of Souleymane,” Abou Sangare

Youth Prize: “Holy Cow! (Vingt Dieux),” Louise Courvoisier

Special Mention: “Norah,” Tawfik Alzaidi

DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT

Europa Cinemas Label: “The Other Way Around,” Jonás Trueba

Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: “This Life of Mine,” Sophie Fillières

Audience Choice Award: “Universal Language,” Matthew Rankin

CRITICS’ WEEK

Grand Prize: “Simon of the Mountain,” Federico Luis

French Touch Prize: “Blue Sun Palace,” Constance Tsang

GAN Foundation Award for Distribution: Jour2Fête, “Julie Keeps Quiet”

Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award: Ricardo Teodoro, “Baby”

Leitz Cine Discovery Prize (short film): “Guil Sela,” Montsouris Park

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Travis Kelce on Harrison Butker’s speech: ‘I don’t think that I should judge him by his views’

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said he doesn’t agree with “the majority” of Harrison Butker’s recent commencement speech but said he won’t judge the place kicker by his views.

“He’s treated friends and family that I’ve introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness,” Kelce said of Butker on Friday’s episode of his “New Heights” podcast . “And that’s how he treats everyone. When it comes down to his views and what he said (in his) commencement speech, those are his.

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“I can’t say I agree with the majority of it or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids. And I don’t think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life, that’s just not who I am.”

Kelce also commended Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ take on Butker’s controversial commencement speech, where Mahomes said he judges Butker by his character.

“I’ve known (Butker) for seven years,” Mahomes told reporters Wednesday . “I judge him by the character he shows every day and that’s a good person. … We’re not always going to agree. He said certain things I don’t agree with.”

During his commencement speech at Benedictine College, Butker referred to Pride Month as an example of the “deadly sins.” He also addressed gender ideologies and said a woman’s most important title is “homemaker.”

“It is you, the women, who have had the most diabolic lies told to you,” Butker said during his speech to graduates earlier this month. “Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”

Kelce pointed out that both his mother and father, Donna and Ed Kelce, were “homemakers and providers” during his childhood.

“They were unbelievable at being present every single day of my life,” Kelce said. “That was a beautiful upbringing for me. … I’m not the same person without both of them being who they were in my life.”

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Although Butker referenced a Taylor Swift lyric in his speech, Kelce, Swift’s boyfriend, did not address it.

“As my teammate’s girlfriend says, ‘Familiarity breeds contempt,'” Butker said, referencing Swift’s song, “Bejeweled,” during the speech.

Butker also used the speech to criticize President Joe Biden on several issues, including abortion and the COVID-19 pandemic, and questioned Biden’s devotion to Catholicism.

Despite Butker’s comments on Biden, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that he believes Butker will go with the team to the White House on May 31 to celebrate its 2024 Super Bowl victory.

“I didn’t think I need to (address it). We’re a microcosm of life,” Reid said when asked about Butker’s comments. “We all respect each other’s opinions. We all have a voice.”

A few days after Butker delivered his speech,  the NFL released a statement distancing itself from his comments and said Butker’s views are not the same as the league as an organization.

When asked about Butker’s speech at the league meetings in Nashville on Wednesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league has a “diversity of opinions and thoughts.”

Kelce echoed a similar sentiment when discussing how teammates don’t always share the same views but can work together: “You put your differences aside for one goal in common, and that’s the beauty of team sports. That’s the beauty of the NFL.”

Required reading

• Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker says Pride Month is example of ‘deadly sin’ during commencement speech
• NFL distances itself from Chiefs’ Harrison Butker’s Benedictine College speech
• Benedictine Sisters denounce Harrison Butker’s speech as his jersey sales rise
• Patrick Mahomes: I didn’t agree with all of Harrison Butker’s speech comments, but he’s ‘a good person’

(Photo of Harrison Butker (left) and Travis Kelce (right): Arne Dedert / picture alliance via Getty Images)

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Drunk carer fined for abandoning wheelchair-bound man at Inverurie music festival

As the police drove Rhona Duncan back to her hotel she showed “no remorse” and repeatedly stated: “Do you think I need this for £12 an hour?” 

A Highland carer who got drunk at a country music festival in Inverurie and abandoned a disabled man she was supposed to be looking after has been fined.

Rhona Duncan downed pints of wine and behaved “obnoxiously” to staff after she left the wheelchair-bound man, 62, on his own at the Thainstone Agricultural Centre on June 4 last year.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that the man began crying after his 50-year-old carer had left him feeling alone and “uncared for”.

It was stated that, instead of doing her job, Duncan got drunk and flirted with random men at the country music event.

Appearing on her behalf, her solicitor Alex Burn conceded that Duncan had consumed “way too much” alcohol on the day in question.

When police officers spoke to Duncan later that night she was unremorseful, telling them: “Do you think I need this for £12 an hour?”

Police called over welfare concern

Fiscal depute Brooklyn Shaw told the court that on June 3 last year Duncan and the man, who is in his 60s, travelled from Dingwall to Aberdeenshire, where they checked into a hotel and went to the Thainstone 5 Country Music Festival.

At some point during the evening, members of the public became aware that Duncan had left the man alone at a table with people he didn’t know.

A member of the security staff was notified and she went to speak to Duncan, who was unsteady on her feet and carrying a pint-sized cup of wine.

Ms Shaw said the Thainstone worker thought Duncan was acting “obnoxiously” and was being “flirtatious with other males at the event”.

The security member was “very concerned” for the man’s welfare and continued to check on him throughout the night.

“She then felt it was necessary to contact the police where she reported her concern,” Ms Shaw said.

“When police arrived and spoke to the complainer, he confided that he did not want to leave the event with Ms Duncan, who had left him for the majority of the night.

“Police then spoke to Ms Duncan, who denied that she had left him for most of the evening and claimed she had only had two glasses of wine.

“The man then repeated that he didn’t want to leave with Ms Duncan as he felt ‘uncared for’.”

‘Do you think I need this for £12 an hour?’

Ms Shaw added that as police were speaking to him, the man began crying as he believed he was somehow in trouble over what had happened.

When police asked for Duncan’s mobile number, she discovered she had lost her phone, which was found 100 metres away in the car park at the festival.

As the police drove Duncan back to her hotel they noted that she showed “no remorse” for her behaviour and repeatedly stated: “Do you think I need this for £12 an hour?”

In the dock, Duncan pleaded guilty to one charge of ill-treating or willfully neglecting a person in her care by becoming intoxicated while working as a carer.

‘She was using alcohol as crutch’

Duncan’s solicitor, Alex Burn, told the court that the country music festival had been an event his client had gone to on previous occasions.

“Clearly, there was a difficulty here that was caused by alcohol consumption and Ms Duncan accepts that she had consumed way too much,” the lawyer said.

He added: “She should have been sober, but, since this happened, she has made improvements in her life.

“She has had longstanding mental health difficulties and was using alcohol as a crutch, but she has reduced her intake and feels far stronger now.”

Mr Burn submitted that perhaps his client could be admonished by the court, which would still be reflected as a conviction but would mean Duncan would face no further punishment.

Sentencing Duncan, Sheriff Morag McLaughlin told her she was “not prepared to admonish her” and felt that her punishment should be reflected by way of a fine.

She fined Duncan, of MacRae Grove, Dingwall, a total of £470.

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