Awarded by the President of the Cinéfondation and Short Film Jury Hou Hsiao Hsien and actress Kerry Washington, the Palme d’Or for the Best Short Film went to ‘Megatron’ by Marian Crisan. [Mr Crisan] exclaimed, “I’m overwhelmed; I don’t know what to say. It’s a big surprise for me. I thank the Jury and I thank everyone in Cannes. Hello to my daughter and wife back in Romania. Bye.”
(excerpt from Cannes Festival Press Release)

‘Megatron’ tells – in 15 minutes – the story of Maxim (played by Maxim Adrian Strinu), a boy of 8 living with his mother (Gabriela Crisu) in a village near Bucharest. For his birthday, Maxim’s mother will take him to the Capital city, to McDonalds. But what the boy wants most is to meet his father who lives in Bucharest.

Director Cristi Puiu, owner of Mandragora Films (producer of the film) said: “Marian’s film is moving, and is in accord with the minimalist tendencies [in cinema]. ‘Megatron’ is rightfully a part of the New Wave of Romanian cinema”.

To read an interview with Marian Crisan (Romanian only) in ‘Cotidianul’ newspaper, please click here.