The 2025 Cannes Film Festival will be marked by a highlight: the presentation of the prestigious Women in Motion prize to Nicole Kidman, during the official dinner organized by Kering and the festival on the sidelines of the event. Created in 2015 by the French luxury group, an official partner of the festival, this award highlights women who, by their careers and their commitment, have helped to advance the place of women in cinema and more broadly in society.
For this anniversary edition celebrating the ten years of the Women in Motion program, the choice of Nicole Kidman naturally imposed itself, according to François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering:
“” Nicole Kidman, who fully embodies the spirit of Women in Motion, was obvious. Through her artistic choices, her concrete commitment and her desire to develop the representation of women on the screen, she perfectly embodies the values that we have defended for a decade. »»
The ceremony will have a special resonance since Nicole Kidman will return to the Croisette for the first time since 2017, the year when she had received a special festival award for her 70th anniversary.
A career guided by requirement, freedom and sorority
Nicole Kidman never gave in to ease or stereotypes. Since its beginnings in the Australian thriller Dead Calm from Phillip Noyce in 1989, until his recent performances in Babygirl From Halina Reijn, who earned her the Volpi Cup for best actress in Venice, she continually pushed the limits of her art. We find her in major films of filmmakers such as Stanley Kubrick, Jane Campion, Lars von Trier, Sofia Coppola, Gus Van Sant, and many others. With unforgettable roles in Eyes Wide Shut,, The Hours,, Dogville,, The Others,, Birthor The Beguiledshe gave life to female characters of great complexity, with singular trajectories, far from the clichés.
Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the festival, welcomes an exceptional work and presence:
“” Nicole Kidman is an immense actress. Her filmography, of which she is the patient architect, and her masterful and disturbing interpretations have deeply marked contemporary cinema. She lent her infinite sensitivity to emblematic and embodied directors, role after role, women who free themselves from their chains. »»
A producer committed for women
By founding Blossom Films in 2010, Nicole Kidman has taken a new step in her commitment to the stories carried by women. The series Big Little Lieswhich she co-produced and in which she embodies a survivor of domestic violence, won the Emmy Award for the best mini-series in 2017, as well as that of the best actress for Kidman herself. In Cannes, during the presentation of The Beguiledshe was publicly committed to working with a director every 18 months. Eight years later, she largely kept his word: she collaborated with 19 directors.
Iris KnoBloch, president of the Cannes Film Festival, underlines the concrete impact of this approach:
“” When a large actress collaborates with nearly twenty directors in a few years, she proves how alive and unavoidable the talent of women in cinema is. Nicole Kidman offered an essential visibility to those who write, perform and tell stories. It is this loud, singular and resolutely modern voice that we celebrate with pride. »»
An actress, an activist, a world figure
In parallel with her artistic career, Nicole Kidman has been leading a fight on human rights for several decades. Ambassador of good will for UNICEF then for a Women, she puts her notoriety at the service of essential causes, in particular the defense of the rights of women and children. With her husband Keith Urban, she also raised millions of dollars for cancer research.
The Women in Motion program, launched in Cannes in 2015, rightly famous these courses which combine creation and commitment. Through his prices, his talks and his podcasts, he pays tribute to the women who change culture, whether on stage, behind the camera, or in the production structures. In ten years, he has established himself as a central actor in reflection around the place of women in the world of culture.
A decade of fighting and recognition
Since its creation, Women in Motion has honored personalities such as Jane Fonda, Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Patty Jenkins, Salma Hayek, Gong Li, Viola Davis or Michelle Yeoh. To this prestigious list will now be added Nicole Kidman, whose career, artistic approach and militant commitment perfectly symbolize the spirit of the prize.
It is important to recall that over the years, Women in Motion has also honored young female talents, especially in the Arab world. In 2016, Tunisian director Leyla Bouzid had received the Young Talent Women in motion price For his film Barely open my eyesa feature film greeted for his bold and free gaze on the post-revolution Tunisian youth. This recognition had marked an important step for the young filmmaker, whose work continues to export internationally.
A vibrant tribute to the creative force of women
Kering, through this pioneering program, is not content to celebrate: he acts. By accompanying the courses, by giving the floor, by financially supporting projects, the group intends to move the lines in a sector where inequalities persist. This 10th anniversary in Cannes will therefore be a party as a manifesto: that of a tireless commitment for the recognition of women in the arts, and more particularly in the cinema.
Nicole Kidman, by her consistency, her rigor, her loyalty to women’s stories, fully embodies this spirit.
“” It is a real honor to receive this prize from François, Thierry, Iris, of my friends from the Kering group as well as the Cannes Film Festival, she said. I am proud to join this list of extraordinary women who have been rewarded before me – artists and pioneers that I deeply admire. The Cannes Film Festival has been part of my life for over 30 years, and I am delighted to add this incredible recognition to the many memories that I built here. »»
Through her, it is also a whole generation of women who find in the cinema a way of telling, denouncing, transforming. The Women in Motion 2025 Prize is not only a tribute to an actress. It is a declaration: that which the change is underway, carried by powerful, sensitive, and above all, free voices.
Neïla Driss
