The Cannes Film Festival's iconic Palme d'Or for best picture has helped place unknown directors on the global cinema stage; driven forward the movie careers of established film-makers; and transformed films into motion picture classics.
U.S. director Delbert Mann won the first Palme d'Or in 1955 for his romantic drama "Marty." The prize replaced the festival's Grand Prix, which had been awarded each year between 1939 and 1954.
The Grand Prix was reintroduced for 10 years in 1964 before the Palme d'Or was returned in 1975.
Since then, some of the world's most famous films have been honored with the Palme d'Or - among them Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver," Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now," Andrzej Wajda's "Man of Iron," Steven Soderbergh's "Sex, Lives and Videotape" and Luchino Visconti's "The Leopard."
As one of the most prestigious prizes in the world of cinema, the Palme d'Or in general tends to be awarded for a film-maker's body of work, or for a movie opening up new vistas in cinema.
Winning a Palme d'Or, however, might not be a guarantee of box office success.
But it can represent a step toward a nomination for another great cinema honor: The Academy Awards in Hollywood as directors such as Terrence Mallick, Michael Haneke, Roman Polanski and Jane Campion found out.
New Zealand-born Campion occupies a unique place in Cannes history: She is the only female director to win the festival's top prize.
Only nine film-makers are members of another exclusive Cannes club: Those who have been awarded the Palme d'Or twice.
On Sunday, Ruben Ostlund became the first Swedish director to win the Palme d'Or since the prize was introduced in 1955.
This year's Cannes's jury, headed by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, handed out this year's Palme d'Or at a gala ceremony on Sunday evening in the Mediterranean resort town.
The trophy was encrusted with 167 diamonds to mark the festival's 70th anniversary.
