Neon Brings 9 Films to Cannes After 6 Straight Palme d'Or Wins

14 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 11

Nine films from Neon are heading to the 79th Cannes Film Festival, including more than a quarter of the 22 titles competing for the Palme d'Or.
Six straight Palme wins have turned the 60-person distributor into an unlikely Cannes heavyweight, with contenders including Ryusuke Hamaguchi's “All of a Sudden,” Na Hong-jin's “Hope” and James Gray's “Paper Tiger.”
Neon says it backed all nine titles before Cannes invitations arrived, underscoring a filmmaker-first strategy that chief Tom Quinn contrasts with studio and algorithm-driven decision-making.
That approach has already translated into awards clout: Palme winners “Parasite” and “Anora” later won best picture, and Neon took four of five best international feature nominations at the last Oscars.
The company enters Cannes as major Hollywood studios remain sparse at the festival, highlighting how specialty distributors like Neon and A24 have gained influence over prestige cinema.

With a major acquisition looming, can Neon's 'passion-first' film strategy survive its own success?

Behind Neon's golden streak, does a lawsuit reveal a business model where most filmmakers can't profit?