Nicole Kidman Awarded Kering’s Women In Motion Award, Celebrating 10 Years
Nicole Kidman urged cinema to support women in the industry | Photo Credit: © Anthony Ghnassia Getty Images
Hollywood was well represented at the dinner with notable names gathered under one ethos: to celebrate and support women in cinema
On Sunday night was Kering’s 10th anniversary Women In Motion gala that was held in conjunction with the 78th Cannes Film Festival. Taking place at the Place de la Castre that overlooks the whole of the festival, the night saw the biggest and brightest in film from Dakota Johnson to Sean Penn, descend upon the dimly lit space.
The cocktail hour started at 9pm where celebrities walked the red carpet and guests mingled over canapés and custom cocktails like the Safran made of Vodka, and the Juschu made of Téquila. As night rolled in, the stars began to glisten and the mood shifted to an intimate vibe.
Charli XCX and Anthony Vaccarello attended the dinner | Photo Credit: ©Anthony Ghnassia - Getty Images
Halle Berry | Photo Credit: ©Anthony Ghnassia - Getty Images
Succession actor and festival jury member Jeremy Strong was spotted talking to Ozark actress Julia Garner, as was White Lotus season 3 actor Patrick Schwarzenegger. Dakota Johnson and Halle Berry (also a festival jury member) arrived wearing a glistening silver gown. Julianne Moore, Sean Penn, Charli XCX, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Julia Ducournau, Guillermo del Toro, Julia Garner, Chie Hayakawa, Paul Mescal, and many other notable names were also in attendance.
As the dinner hour started, guests moved into the dining room and dined on the first course of white asparagus with green apple and lovage jus and early season cherries. The clear ceiling intertwined the celestial stars and cinema stars. Welcoming guests François-Henri Pinault, Kering’s CEO stated in his speech, “We did what we know best, we gave space and we created Women In Motion to give voice to women in cinema, to give voice to their stories, to their struggles, and to their brilliance. For 10 years we have listened to legends like Jane Fonda, our first honoree. We have listened to Isabelle Huppert and to Salma [Hayek] who graces us tonight. We have celebrated voices like Marianna Brennand, our 2025 Emerging Talent but also to Carla [Simón], Amanda [Nell Eu], to Eva [Trobisch], Gaya [Jiji], Ninja [Thyberg], Maysaloun [Hamoud], and Shannon [Murphy] they are all with us here tonight. We have honored them, but above all, we have learned.”
Iris Knobloch, the president of the Cannes Film Festival took to the podium to speak about the importance of women in cinema. “Back in 2015, Kering took the lead with the support of the Cannes Film Festival in shining a spotlight on all the women who cinema had kept in the shadows for far too long. It was a bold move, born not from some passing trend but from a place of deep conviction. Ten years, what a journey and what progress we have made,” she said.
Guests then returned to mingling and the second course: black cod, lemon-infused potato puree, spring peas, and sea butter with caviar. The centerpiece at each table was a sea of candles, which further cemented the mood of the dinner. Then, a preview of Nicole Kidman’s films played across the screen, a sort of melodic tribute to her legendary work from Grace of Monaco to Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. Kidman is a proponent of supporting women directors, actors, producers, screenwriters, cinematographers, and the like. Every 18 months she makes it a point to work with female directors.
Past and present Women In Motion and Emerging Talent award recipients: Salma Hayek Pinault, Carla Simon, Gaya Jiji, Ninja Thyberg, Marianna Brennand, Nicole Kidman, Shannon Murphy, Amanda Nell Eu, Maysaloun Hamoud, Eva Trobisch | Photo Credit: © Anthony Ghnassia Getty Images
French singer Clara Luciani | Photo Credit: © Anthony Ghnassia - Getty Images
Knobloch and Thierry Frémaux, the Festival’s General Delegate first gave Marianna Brennand, from Brazil her award for Emerging Talent. Then they gave Kidman her award. In her speech, Kidman spoke about how in 2017 at the Cannes Film Festival, she was chatting with Meryl Streep about resolve, particularly the resolve to do the work. “The work is actually to be in films directed by women. Cause, you can talk about it and you can say you support it, but you actually have to do it.” And that’s how her 18-month pledge was birthed. “I’ve subsequently been able to do this so much more than that because there are so many extraordinary women out there and once you go looking and searching then there they are, just waiting to be found.”
She went on to unpack why working with female filmmakers is crucial. “We can prove to you that we will make money for you, so Invest in us and believe in us,” Kidman said to guests. “Our voices are so important, we will change the world but we will also give you a glimpse of our hearts and our souls, and what it means to be a woman. If you just give us the chance, we are so ready,” said Kidman.
The dinner was rounded out with a third course, the most delectable chilled strawberry soup that one could not imagine, until they've tasted it. French singer and songwriter Clara Luciani got the audience to their feet with her iconic songs.
