Trophée Chopard 2022

Julia Roberts becomes godmother to the prize awarded by Chopard to the new generation of international cinema

Global movie icon Julia Roberts will be the godmother of the Trophée Chopard at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. Created in 2001, this prize is awarded each year to a promising actress and actor to highlight the new generation of international cinema. This year, Julia Roberts will present the two winners chosen by the Trophée Chopard Academy with their awards at a prestigious dinner organised during the Cannes fortnight on La Croisette at the joint invitation of Pierre Lescure (Festival President), Thierry Frémaux (Festival General Delegate) and Caroline Scheufele (Chopard Co-President and Artistic Director).

At the initiative of Caroline Scheufele, the Trophée Chopard has been awarded since 2001 at an emotional annual ceremony to rising talents, an actress and an actor who have had a successful debut. Through this accolade, the Maison – in association with the Cannes Festival – reaffirms its unconditional support for creative filmmaking.

For more than two decades, the winners of the Trophées have consistently confirmed the hopes placed in them. From Marion Cotillard, who won an Oscar in 2008 for her performance in Olivier Dahan's La Vie en Rose; Léa Seydoux, who was awarded a Palme d'Or in 2013; Diane Kruger, who won an acting award at Cannes in 2017; through to Niels Schneider, who won a César Award for Most Promising Actor in 2017; Florence Pugh and Jessie Buckley, both nominated for Oscars a few months after being awarded the Chopard Trophy in 2019 and 2021, the award has often heralded a great international career.

An adored ‘godmother’ at the Cannes Film Festival
Surprisingly, throughout her legendary career, Julia Roberts has only once walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. That was in 2016 with a history-making appearance during which the actress created a sensation in a long, shoulder-baring black dress highlighting a sparkling Chopard Haute Joaillerie emerald and diamond necklace.

On the occasion of the 75th Cannes Film Festival, which coincides with the 25th anniversary of Chopard's partnership with this longstanding film event, at the jeweller’s invitation, Julia Roberts is returning to La Croisette to present the Trophée Chopard. An honour for the two winners as well as a unique opportunity to share the talent and experience of an outstanding artist.

When asked about the choice of this exceptional godmother, Caroline Scheufele explains: "For a fan of cinema like myself, Julia Roberts represents a film legend. Her energy and talent have made an indelible imprint on successive generations and it is an honour that she has agreed to symbolically impart the experience of her rich career to the two winners of the 2022 Trophée Chopard."

Official dinner for a prestigious trophy
The Trophée Chopard will be awarded on 19 May during a dinner presided over by Pierre Lescure, Thierry Frémaux and Caroline Scheufele. The winners will receive their precious distinction, the result of votes cast by the Trophée Chopard Academy made up of former prize-winners, godfathers and godmothers. Based on the theme of skills transfer, this very special evening will see a great actress reward two rising stars in international cinema.

An award for the next generation of international cinema

Official partner to the Cannes Film Festival for 25 years, Chopard annually turns the spotlight on an actor or actress enjoying a promising start to their career by presenting them with the Trophée Chopard. Handed over by a prestigious godmother during the Cannes fortnight, since 2001 the prize has been awarded to various rising stars in international cinema, such as Marion Cotillard, Diane Kruger, Léa Seydoux, Florence Pugh as well as Niels Schneider, Jeremy Irvine and Joe Alwyn.

At the initiative of Caroline Scheufele, since 2001, the Trophée Chopard has been awarded at an emotional annual ceremony to rising talents in the form of an actress and an actor who have had a successful debut. Through this accolade, the Maison – in association with the Cannes Festival – reaffirms its unconditional support for creative filmmaking.

For more than two decades, the winners of the Trophée have consistently confirmed the hopes placed in them. From Marion Cotillard, who won an Oscar in 2008 for her performance in Olivier Dahan's La Vie en Rose; Léa Seydoux, who was awarded a Palme d'Or in 2013; Diane Kruger, who won an acting award at Cannes in 2017; Niels Schneider, who won a César Award for Most Promising Actor in 2017; through to Florence Pugh and Jessie Buckley, both nominated for Oscars a few months after winning the Trophée Chopard in 2019 and 2021, this distinction has often heralded a great international career.

As Caroline Scheufele explains: "Chopard loves cinema, and the Trophée is a long-term commitment by our Maison to guaranteeing the success of new talent. Thanks to this prize, we draw the attention of the entire film industry and the public alike to an actress and an actor destined to perform in the films of tomorrow. The selection of the winners is an eagerly awaited moment every year, and I always feel a great deal of emotion during the award ceremony when I witness the pride on the faces of these actors at seeing their talent recognised. Some winners do us the honour of returning a few years later to present the prize to a new generation, such as Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux and Diane Kruger, who have themselves become godmothers of the Trophée, thus completing a virtuous circle"

The trophy – a silver-coated gold film reel on a glass base – was designed by Caroline Scheufele herself. Like the Palme d’Or and indeed all the trophies awarded during the closing ceremony of the Cannes Festival, it is crafted by Chopard’s jewellery artisans.

The actors are selected in partnership with Variety after deliberations by a distinguished committee composed of the magazine’s Executive Editor Steven Gaydos, Caroline Scheufele, along with former godfathers, godmothers and laureates of previous editions who are always happy to pass on the spotlight from which they have themselves benefited.

An integral part of the official Cannes Festival calendar, the Trophée Chopard is presented in the course of an exceptional evening during which a prestigious godfather or godmother presents the prize to the winners. Stars such as Charlize Theron, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Zhang Ziyi, Robert De Niro and Sean Penn have all agreed to symbolically accompany the laureates on their path to success by gratifying them with their experience and kindness.

PreviousNext