The Palme d'Or will be handed out Saturday in Cannes. Here's what to look for

The 79th Cannes Film Festival draws to a close Saturday with the presentation of one of cinema’s highest honors, the Palme d’Or. This year, the race may be wide open.

By wide consensus, it hasn’t been a banner festival. Hollywood largely sat out this year’s edition. Many of the selections struggled to bowl over critics. The global buzz that Cannes typically generates was fitful at best.

But the lack of a clear front-runner should give the nine-member jury, headed by Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, a range of possibilities for the Palme. Winning Cannes' top honor almost immediately raises the international profile of a film, and likely sets it up as an Oscar contender, too.

Some of the festival’s best received films include Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland,” a black-and-white postwar rumination on art and politics; Japanese auteur Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden,” a tender three-hour elder care opus; Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Minotaur,” a drama of crime and punishment in contemporary Russia; and Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu’s Norway-set child services nightmare “Fjord.”

But on the second-to-last day of the festival, a possible dark horse emerged. Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi's “The Black Ball” found one of Cannes' most passionate receptions. The sprawling Spanish film tells a story of three gay men across generations.

But few awards are harder to predict than the Palme d’Or. The jury’s deliberations are entirely private. Any of the 22 films in competition in Cannes can win. This year's jury also includes Demi Moore, Chloé Zhao and Stellan Skarsgård.

Those who are chosen for a prize — others to be handed out Saturday include best actress, best actor and the grand prix — are asked by the festival to return to Cannes for the closing ceremony. They know they've won something, but they don't know what. Typically, juries award only one prize per movie.

One of the movies’ most extraordinary streaks is on the line. Neon, the specialty label, has been attached to the last six Palme d’Or winners. That includes last year’s champion, Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” and the 2024 winner, “Anora.” The latter went on to win best picture at the Oscars.

Saturday’s ceremony will be missing its tribute honoree. Barbra Streisand was to receive an honorary Palme d’Or, but a knee injury will prevent her from attending. The festival still plans to honor Streisand.

Adam Driver, from left, director James Gray and Miles Teller pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Paper Tiger' during the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Sebastian Stan, from left, director Cristian Mungiu and Renate Reinsve pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Fjord' during the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Tao Okamoto, from left, director Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Virginie Efira pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'All of a Sudden' during the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Iris Lebedeva, director Andrey Zvyagintsev and Dmitriy Mazurov pose for photographers at the photo call for the film Minotaur' at the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Photo by Millie Turner/Invision/AP)

Director Paweł Pawlikowski poses for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Fatherland' during the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rookie Munetaka Murakami hit a bases-clearing, bases-loaded double in his second plate appearance of a wild nine-run fourth inning, Andrew Benintendi doubled in two runs earlier in the frame to help back Davis Martin's latest strong outing, and the Chicago White Sox beat the San Francisco Giants 9-4 on Friday night.

Giants right-hander Trevor McDonald (2-1) retired the first nine Chicago hitters in order then didn't make it out of the fourth. He plunked leadoff hitter Sam Antonacci then followed by hitting Murakami. Colson Montgomery hit a single for Chicago's first hit one out later to load the bases and Chase Meidroth drew walk to force home the first run before Benintendi's double.

The nine runs allowed by the Giants in the fourth were their most in any inning since surrendering nine to the Athletics in the fifth inning on Aug. 16, 2020.

Martin (7-1) struck out seven and walked two over 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. He is 11-2 over his 19 outings since Aug. 10 last year while allowing three earned runs or fewer 18 of those appearances until Friday. The right-hander struck out seven or more batters for the sixth straight start.

Chicago won for the ninth time in 12 games, improving its interleague record in the Giants' ballpark to 9-3.

Hundreds of fans at Oracle Park removed their shirts and twirled them in the eighth inning in the trending “tarps off” phenomenon taking place in ballparks everywhere.

A couple of hours before first pitch, the Giants placed right fielder Jung Hoo Lee on the 10-day injured list with a mid-back strain and called up outfield prospect Victor Bericoto from Triple-A Sacramento.

The 24-year-old Venezuelan made his major league as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the eighth and struck out swinging then stayed in the game to play right field.

RHP Erick Fedde (0-4, 4.30 ERA) was set to take the mound for the White Sox in the middle game of the series opposite Giants RHP Adrian Houser (2-4, 5.25).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

San Francisco Giants center fielder Harrison Bader (9) catches a fly ball hit by Chicago White Sox's Andrew Benintendi next to right fielder Drew Gilbert, left, during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Fans at Oracle Park go "tarps off" during the eighth inning of a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago White Sox Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

San Francisco Giants' Jung Hoo Lee stands in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami (5) and Colson Montgomery (12) celebrate after both scored on Andrew Benintendi's two-run double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami, left, stands at first base with first base coach Jose Leger after Murakami was hit by a pitch during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)