Cannes: Ukraine's landmine-sniffer gets 'Palm Dog'

Film buffs have to wait until Saturday for the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize, the ‘Palme d’Or’, but the real scene-stealers get their awards a day earlier – at the annual ‘Palm Dog’ ceremony.

Britney, a standard poodle who stars in Riley Keough’s directorial debut ‘War Pony’, was crowned top dog this year, snagging the coveted gilded collar prize.

Britney, who plays a well-loved character called Beast, was unable to attend the ceremony, but two elaborately-coiffed poodles stood in to receive her prize.

Dogs of all shapes and sizes flocked to the beach along the palm tree-lined Croisette to attend the annual Palm Dog ceremony at the #Cannes2022 Film Festival pic.twitter.com/yWdZ1nFe7X

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 28, 2022

Keough and co-director Gina Gammell accepted the award via pre-recorded video, saying they were ‘so honored’.

Dogs of all shapes and sizes – including a number of seasoned veterans of the popular event – flocked to the beach along the palm tree-lined Croisette in the southern French city to take in the ceremony, greeting fellow furry-haired friends with wagging tales and nose bumps, and breaking out into rounds of barking when the audience clapped.

Founded in 2001 by film journalist Toby Rose, the Palm Dog award honors to top dogs on the screen, with categories including jury prize and the so-called ‘Palm DogManitarian’, celebrating the bond between people and their canine companions.

This year’s dogmanitarian was Patron, a Jack Russell terrier in Kyiv who detects bombs with his nose.

Our hero, Dog Patron, received the Palm Dog at #Cannes2022 – the most prestigious film award in the world for the four-legged!
Patron thanked for the award and asked for more weapons – the more we have, the less de-mining work he will need to do later! #MLRSForUkraine#Ukraine pic.twitter.com/YV0WVu263F

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 27, 2022

Patron, who was also honored with a medal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy earlier this month, was unable to travel to Cannes for his Palm Dog collar. Luckily, lookalike Opium was on hand to accept the award in his place.

A new award was added this year, the Elvis Palm Hound Dog – a nod to Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’ biopic, a top festival draw. It went to Titane, a sharp-muzzled mutt with pointy ears.