The Palme d'or and the Diploma of the 1956 International Film Festival © FDC
While the Palme d'or – now inextricably linked with the Festival de Cannes – was not awarded to the Best Film in Competition until 1955, the palm symbol appears on official documents from the very earliest birth of the Festival in 1939. Down the years, the event has toyed with its emblem, creating various backdrops and revisiting its lines, ultimately making it the symbol of its visual identity. A look back at official representations of the Palme, from decoration to logo.
Originally, the palm was a reference to the coat-of-arms and motto of the town of Cannes: 'Praemium palma victori', meaning 'The palm is the victor's prize'. Legend has it that Saint Honorat climbed a palm tree to pray for the destruction of the poisonous snakes on the smallest of the Lérins Islands where he lived, and that God granted his request by sending a tidal wave. So grateful was Saint Honorat that he founded an abbey which bears his name to this day, in the Bay of Cannes.
In 2002, the Festival strengthened its visual identity. The version of the Palme symbol in the form of a charter still used today helped the event become more recognisable worldwide and enhanced the Festival's role in bringing together the various initiatives it has created: Marché du Film, Village International, Cinéfondation, and Cannes Short Film.
Official logo of the Festival de Cannes
