Orange’s ‘WoMen’s Football,’ Sydney Opera House’s ‘Play It Safe’ win Film Grand Prix

The Film jury at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity bestowed two Grand Prix on Friday night, with one going to Marcel Paris for its “WoMen’s Football” spot for Orange, and the other to The Monkeys/Accenture Song Sydney for the “Play It Safe” musical for the Sydney Opera House. “WoMen’s Football” has been celebrated all week in different categories, including winning the Grand Prix in the Entertainment Lions for Sport contest. The two-minute film celebrates women’s sports by showing what appears to be footage of the French men’s national soccer team in action—but which is actually doctored footage of the women’s national team. “Play It Safe,” created by The Monkeys and Accenture Song Sydney, is a mini-musical starring Tim Minchin, the Australian comedian, musician and songwriter. Created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Sydney Opera House, it’s an uplifting, remarkably choreographed ode to taking chances and standing out. Tor Myhren, VP of marketing communications at Apple and president of this year’s Film jury, said the “WoMen’s Football” film was incredibly impressive even if it does have its flaws. “Sometimes the idea wins out over everything,” he said. “It’s not a perfect film. The craft isn’t perfect. We talked about title cards and fonts. But it’s so good. It makes you feel so much, and you fall in love. To see it is to love it.” Cannes Lions coverage See all of the Grand Prix winners here Top 5 Grand Prix campaigns Myhren said “Play It Safe” was also brilliant, just in a different way. “I think what we fell in love with immediately was its celebration of the creative spirit. It showed that in a way that’s never been shown,” he said. “It’s a celebration of brave ideas and taking gigantic risks in the face of criticism and controversy and cultural norms. Whereas ‘WoMen’s Football’ was, I think, the best idea on film of the year, this is the best film of the year. That’s why we chose those two.” “It’s absolutely amazing to win this award,” Tara Ford, who led development of “Play It Safe” as chief creative officer of both The Monkeys and Accenture Song APAC and LATAM, told Ad Age. “You don’t dare dream of a Film Grand Prix. This film is like a love letter to our industry. Obviously that’s not the purpose of it. But the purpose is definitely celebrating creativity, celebrating what it is to think differently and follow through on that—to be bold and try things that have never been tried before. That’s everything we do in this industry, really—at its pinnacle.” More: Inside the buzziest campaign at Cannes Lions In talking about the judging process more generally, Myhren said the jury members agreed to focus on the films themselves rather than any case studies submitted with them (something that’s become a growing trend in the industry). “The beauty of judging film is, it’s so pure,” he said. “You watch it, and assuming you understand the cultural context—which is a different story—you know if you like it, you know if it’s great, you know if it makes you feel things.”

Orange’s ‘WoMen’s Football,’ Sydney Opera House’s ‘Play It Safe’ win Film Grand Prix

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