Cannes Film Festival Photos by Kevin Costner, Hunter Schafer, Bella Hadid

“I went to Cannes with films that won the Palme d’Or; others did pretty well, and others really didn’t do well. I know the emotions of Cannes from A to Z, but it’s always such a pleasure to be there. And that’s very important for this art form that we all love.

Important words of Kinds of Kindness star Willem Dafoe on what it really feels like to attend the world’s most iconic film festival as a veteran who has demonstrated varying levels of kindness from Cannes audiences over the years – not to mention the different durations of these standing ovations which create the buzz.

As the 77th edition draws to a close, emotions ran high and the love for the art form seemed stronger than ever as authors, stars, celebrities and industry insiders converged in the South France for nearly two weeks of cinematic adventures in and around the Palais. Festivals. Even if Dafoe can claim mastery of the A to Z of emotions, The Hollywood Reporter has the A (for A-list) to G (for glamour) covered in Julian Ungano’s annual portfolio. The award-winning filmmaker, photographer, creative director and visual storyteller was once again roaming the Croisette to capture behind-the-scenes portraits of Cannes 2024’s biggest stars.

This year’s exclusive set of images, viewable below, capture moments with Dafoe and his Kinds of Kindness clan with filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and actors Jesse Plemons, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Margaret Qualley and Hunter Schafer; Horizon: an American saga the filmmaker Kevin Costner and one of his actors, Thom Payne; model Bella Hadid; Bird stars Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski; Megalopolis the Nathalie Emmanuel and Chloé Fineman eruptions; Being Maria star Matt Dillon; The Shrouds Vincent Cassel; and a gravity-defying portrait of French actor Lucas Bravo.

Let’s get back to those emotions. Being in Cannes can and usually does offer a range that can take some time to process. Just ask Costner. “I actually started going backwards in my life for a second,” Costner told Jimmy Kimmel upon his return to Los Angeles about what he was thinking during the lengthy standing ovation for his Warner western Bros. “I kind of went back to the beginning and was wondering, you know, how did I end up in a place like that.

Bella Hadid

Kevin Costner for Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1

Hunter Schaefer for Kinds of Kindness

Barry Keoghan for…