There was a perfect sea breeze as guests made their way to the garden of the Musée de la Castre in Cannes, where Kering celebrated a decade of Women in Motion.

Launched in 2015, Kering’s program has been pivotal in promoting women in the film industry at the Cannes Film Festival, and the party alone has the starriest guest list of the fortnight. The decade milestone honored Nicole Kidman, and brought the jury and other A-listers to the top of Cannes.

“It’s true that in the beginning we didn’t know if we could gather people around us,” Kering president and chief executive officer François-Henri Pinault told WWD. “But the good news is that people are more and more joining the movement. Things are moving. It’s still too much in independent film, not big productions yet, but it’s movement.”

Pinault and his wife Salma Hayek launched Women in Motion to advance equality in the film industry. Pinault acknowledged that change has not come easily or quickly.

“We did this study recently and we see things moving. So we are getting there. The day we say, ‘No more Women in Motion because it’s done’ has not arrived yet, but we are going in that direction,” he said.

Speaking on stage, Pinault was passionate. “Cinema cannot really fully reflect the world if half of the world is left in the shadows,” he said.

He emphasized that “the work is far from done, and we still have to go further — further in rules, further in funding, further in respect.” But, he added, “There is one thing I believe tonight, that is that change is possible.”

He also announced that Kering will deepen its partnership with the festival going forward.

As the evening’s guest of honor, Kidman reflected on her history with the film festival and her role in changing the discussion around women directors.

“I love [Cannes]. It still moves me, it transports me, it teaches me. I’m completely devoted to all forms of storytelling and art, and I’m just happy that there is now such a recognition of women and their voices are being uplifted and upheld and then publicized, which is what you need,” she told WWD.

Despite being crowned the “Queen of Cannes” in 2017 when she appeared in four films and was given a special award created by the jury just for her, Kidman said she is just happy to be included.

“Cannes is magical. I’m kind of in awe that I still get invited, truly. It’s kind of amazing, because I started out [in the business] when I was 14 years old and I am still here. I’m very grateful for that. Onward!” Ever humble, she added that she nearly fell coming up the stairs to the castle due to the well-worn centuries-old stones.

Speaking from the stage, Kidman recalled that pivotal moment during the 2017 festival when, after a conversation with Meryl Streep, she pledged publicly to work with at least one female director every 18 months. She has since worked with 27 female directors.

Kidman added that the efforts at inclusion should go deeper.

“We need to give women better roles, particularly as they get older. So please write them,” she urged the room of industry power players. “We are here, and we can prove to you that we will make money for you. Invest in us and believe in us, because our voices are so important.”

Iris Knobloch, the first female president of the Cannes Film Festival, also emphasized the importance of keeping the pressure on. “We have made huge progress. There are so many more women represented at the festival and in cinema, but we should not budge an inch. We have to continue building on that momentum, especially in the current environment,” she told WWD.

Knobloch wore a custom-made blue column dress by Balenciaga from the fall 2024 collection. 

Kidman’s words resonated in a room that included Jeremy Strong, Julianne Moore, Kering deputy CEO Francesca Bellettini and Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello in the audience.

Other guests included Isabelle Huppert, Halle Berry, Naomie Ackie, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Han So Hee, Charli XCX, Dakota Johnson and Julia Garner.

Hayek did the rounds of the room, sweeping between tables to chat, hugging Sean Penn and posing for selfies with guests.

Actress and producer Tessa Thompson shared updates on her upcoming projects, including a new installment in the “Creed” franchise starring Michael B. Jordan. “Michael has one movie to make before we get to work on that, and I’m very excited for it,” she said.

On the topic of the evening, Thompson said that this is about to be a big year for her own production company, Viva Maude. “It’s always a labor of love and this year my company is so proud to finally have some things coming into the culture. I’ve learned so much,” she said.

She reflected on how stepping into producing has shifted her perspective. “It felt like before when I was just acting, it was like being at the kids’ table — the food just arrives. And now, I’m in the kitchen, and the truth is I really like to get my hands dirty,” said Thompson, who was also wearing Balenciaga.

Juliette Binoche, president of this year’s jury, was in a white look from Gucci with purple shoes, and described her experience so far.

“I’ve been here with films nine times, which is quite a lot, and now being president of the jury, I am enjoying it. Coming from different worlds, you know — the jury is from seven different worlds, different continents, and we are watching a lot of different films from a lot of different countries. It’s really inspiring and special,” she told WWD.

Vicky Krieps, who is in Cannes with her new film “Love Me Tender” competing in the Un Certain Regard section, said the film is challenging to promote because of the cultural expectations of women. “A woman character is not allowed to be not empathetic, and that hasn’t changed. Women are supposed to be ‘nice.’ But I’m here and my movie is here. Even if my movies are small, these stories exist,” she said.

Krieps acknowledged progress, but also the persistent double standards that women face, especially mothers. “I still feel like I need to work double to get where a man is, having kids and working, so that hasn’t changed. Where it has shifted is in the narrative — we now see these movies that you didn’t see before that are made by women and tell the story of women in a different way,” she said.

Krieps was wearing Bottega Veneta. She previously worked with Chanel, and Bottega is a new relationship. “I like the people. I also like the designs but there is some kind of really straightforward good heart, sensible energy coming from them,” she said.

Jameela Jamil is also looking to shape the next chapter of women’s stories. She’s currently working on a book and her first screenplay — what she called a “menopausal rom-com.”

“I grew up watching films like ‘Under the Tuscan Sun,’ ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ and ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back,’ but we’ve become unbelievably obsessed with youth again and those stories aren’t being told,” she said. “I don’t want to see supermodels shag on a yacht. I want to see stories that reflect all of the different ages.

“There are so many great actresses in their 40s and 50s who were often overlooked when they were younger because they weren’t given meaty enough roles. Those women are still around, and their stories deserve to be told without just being the mother in someone else’s limelight,” Jamil said.

The British actress was wearing Rami Kadi.

The night closed out with a performance from French singer Clara Luciani, who kept the crowd moving well past midnight.