International film icon Isabelle Huppert will receive the third Women in Motion Award presented by Kering and the Festival de Cannes.

François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, Pierre Lescure, President of the Festival de Cannes, and Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate of the Festival of Cannes, will present these awards during the official Women in Motion dinner on Sunday, 21 May 2017.

For the third Women in Motion programme, official partner Kering and the Festival de Cannes will present the Women in Motion Award to French actress Isabelle Huppert.Exceptionally free-spirited and bold, Isabelle Huppert has taken many artistic risks in her career, and whilst acting with leading names, she has successfully established her own style in a variety of registers ranging from drama to comedy. She has pushed back boundaries with the strong and far-from-stereotypical roles that she has played since the early days of her career.

“Isabelle Huppert is globally acclaimed as an actress for her eclectic choices and creative audacity. She is an actress with raw talent who succeeded in gaining recognition in an environment in which female representation is still a major challenge. By presenting her with this award, we wish to salute her considerable contribution to the world of cinema as well as her ability, through her roles and her career, to inspire new generations of women such as the director Maysaloun Hamoud, whose film is an ode to tolerance and diversity.” commented François-Henri Pinault

Isabelle Huppert achieved a record by having played in over twenty films selected at the Cannes Film Festival, and has won twice the award for Best Actress (for Violette Nozière by Claude Chabrol and The Piano Teacher by Michael Haneke). While already having won multiple awards around the world, Isabelle Huppert received an Oscar nomination in the Best Actress category for Elle by Paul Verhoeven. Her performance in this role also won her a second César award and a Golden Globe. After having been a member of the jury at the Festival de Cannes she was also once its President. With an already impressive filmography, this year she is competing at the Festival with two films in the Official Selection: Happy End by Michael Haneke and Claire’s Camera by Hong Sang-soo.

History of Women in Motion Award

Launched in 2015 by Kering, in partnership with the Festival de Cannes, Women in Motion sets out to showcase the contribution of women to the film industry, whether in front of the camera or behind it.

The initiative is based on two pillars: Talks give major figures the opportunity to compare and contrast their experiences and viewpoints around the question of women’s contribution to cinema; and the two Women in Motion Awards are awarded each year to an inspiring figure, and to a young film industry professional.

Who won Women in Motion Award