The word from the just-wrapping-up Cannes Film Festival is that it’s a long way from being a classic year. Gay films, however, have had a great time on the Croisette with three high profile movies from gay directors both getting honoured.

21-year-old gay movie director Xavier Dolan won in the junior division, yesterday scooping the ‘Regards Jeunes” prize, which is voted for by a panel of movie-loving brats. His film Heartbeats (Les Amours Imaginaires) – a very cool-looking story about a gay-straight-bisexual love triangle – has been getting good notices and Dolan is a talent to watch.

Even bigger news is that Gregg Araki’s arty comedy thriller Kaboom, about a bisexual college freshman having weird dreams and fantasising about his male roommate in a small Southern California town, has just been awarded the first ever ‘Queer Palm’. This inaugural gay movie award is Cannes’ answer to Berlin’s ‘Teddy’ and is given to a film for “its contribution to lesbian, gay, bi or trans” issues (with Kaboom pretty much ticking every box!).

And finally, openly gay Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul won the top prize this evening for his film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, a surreal and spiritual tale about reincarnation and the afterlife. Upon receiving the Palme d’Or for his movie, Weerasethakul complimented jury president Tim Burton on his unusual hair style!