A movie starring veteran Filipino actress Dolly de Leon won the Palme d’Or at the recently held Cannes Film Festival in France. Palm d'Or is the highest prize award at the Cannes Film Festival and is widely considered to be one of the most prestigious awards in the film industry.

De Leon starred in the winning movie "Triangle of Sadness", which was directed by Ruben Östlund and also casted Hollywood celebrities like Woody Harrelson, Harris Dickinson, and Charlbi Dean. The dark comedy film centers on a fashion model celebrity couple who are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich.

In the movie, De Leon portrayed Abigail, a toilet cleaner on a luxury yacht who, thanks to her skills, becomes the leading figure among the mega-privileged passengers when they get stranded on an island.

A graduate of UP Diliman Theater Arts, the 53-year-old actress has been a part of several local and international films over the decades. Aside from the Triangle of Sadness, De Leon’s recent acting stints include Erik Matti’s HBO series “Folklore” and “On the Job.”

Other Filipino talents in Cannes
Aside from De Leon, Filipinos are also present in other competing films at the festival, according to the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). "Plan 75", which featured Filipina actresses Stefanie Arianne and Sheryl Ichikawa, was selected in the Un Certain Regard section. Meanwhile, Mike De Leon’s restored film “Itim” was also selected under the Cannes Classics sections.

Film projects “Sam” and “The Beer Girl in Yangon” are also both participating in the L’Atelier, while “Ria” was also part of the Cinefondation – Residence Du Festival, a Cannes program for young filmmakers to develop their fiction feature film project.