Rescue dog Yuri wins Cannes’ Palm Dog for Chilean drama

A rescue dog named Yuri stole a share of Cannes’ spotlight on the beach at Plage du Festival, winning the Palm Dog for a performance that helped anchor the Chilean drama La Perra. The prize, a tongue-in-cheek nod to the Palme d’Or, has become one of the festival’s most watched side honors.

In La Perra, Yuri’s character sits at the center of the story: a woman on a remote Chilean island impulsively adopts the puppy, and the bond between them drives much of the film’s emotional force. Judges praised the dog’s natural presence and the way Yuri shaped the plot rather than simply decorating it. The film screened in Directors’ Fortnight, the Quinzaine des Cinéastes sidebar that Cannes uses to showcase more adventurous work.

The Palm Dog has been part of Cannes since 2001, when British film journalist Toby Rose created it as a playful counterpart to the festival’s top prize. Presented by an international panel of film critics, the award comes with a leather collar marked “Palm Dog,” and over time it has shifted from a cheeky sideshow to a badge many filmmakers now prize. The 79th Cannes Film Festival runs from May 12 to May 23, 2026, and the official selection was unveiled in Paris on April 9.

Dominga Sotomayor Castillo accepted the award on Yuri’s behalf, with another rescue dog, Apocalypse, present for the moment. The beach ceremony drew applause and barking approval, a fitting scene for an honor that thrives on the contrast between Cannes’ polished spectacle and the unpredictability of an on-stage dog. The 2026 competition also honored another rescue dog, Lola, with the Grand Jury Prize for the Birmingham-set drama I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning.

Yuri’s win underscored why the Palm Dog keeps resonating at Cannes: in a festival built on image, status and careful promotion, an unscripted animal performance can still cut through. Even among red carpets and the race for the Palme d’Or, a rescue dog on a remote island managed to become one of the week’s clearest stories.