The 24th Cannes Film Fest was held on May 12 – 27, 1971.
The Palme d’Or went to The Go-Between by Joseph Losey.
The festival opened with Gimme Shelter, a powerful, controversial documentary The Rolling Stones directed by David Maysles, Albert Maysles, and Charlotte Zwerin.
It closed with Les mariés de l’an II, directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau.
The festival paid tribute to Chaplin, honoring him with the Commander of the national order of the Legion of Honor.
Jury Members
Michèle Morgan (France) (jury president)
- Pierre Billard (France)
- Michael Birkett (UK)
- Anselmo Duarte (Brazil)
- István Gaál (Hungary)
- Sergio Leone (Italy)
- Aleksandar Petrović (Yugoslavia)
- Maurice Rheim (France)
- Erich Segal (USA)
- Véra Volmane (France) (journalist) (short films president)
- Charles Duvanel (Switzerland) (short films)
- Etienne Novella (France) (short films)
Feature film competition
- Animale bolnave by Nicolae Breban
- Apokal by Paul Anczykowski
- Le Bateau sur l’herbe by Gérard Brach
- Beg by Aleksandr Alov and Vladimir Naumov
- La califfa by Alberto Bevilacqua
- Drive, He Said by Jack Nicholson (US)
- The Go-Between by Joseph Losey
- Goya, historia de una soledad by Nino Quevedo
- Joe Hill by Bo Widerberg
- Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
- Loot by Silvio Narizzano
- Les mariés de l’an II by Jean-Paul Rappeneau
- Mira by Fons Rademakers
- Death in Venice (Morte a Venezia) by Luchino Visconti
- The Panic in Needle Park by Jerry Schatzberg (US)
- Per grazia ricevuta by Nino Manfredi
- Pindorama by Arnaldo Jabor
- Raphaël ou le débauché by Michel Deville
- Sacco e Vanzetti by Giuliano Montaldo
- Murmur of the Heart (Le souffle au cœur) by Louis Malle
- Szerelem by Károly Makk
- Taking Off by Miloš Forman (US)
- Wake in Fright by Ted Kotcheff (US)
- Walkabout by Nicolas Roeg
- Yami no naka no chimimoryo by Kō Nakahira
- Życie rodzinne by Krzysztof Zanussi
Films out of competition
- Gimme Shelter by David Maysles, Albert Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin
- La Maison sous les Arbres by René Clément
- Le Chasseur by François Reichenbach
- Le feu sacré by Vladimir Forgency
- Les amis by Gérard Blain
- Narcissus by Peter Foldes
- The Hellstrom Chronicle by Walon Green
- The Trojan Women by Michael Cacoyannis
Awards
- Palme d’Or: The Go-Between by Joseph Losey
- Grand Prix:
- Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
- Taking Off by Miloš Forman
- Jury Prize:
- Joe Hill by Bo Widerberg
- Szerelem by Károly Makk
- Best Actor: Riccardo Cucciolla for Sacco e Vanzetti
- Best Actress: Kitty Winn for The Panic in Needle Park
- Special Mention: Lili Darvas and Mari Törőcsik, the lead actresses in Szerelem
- Technical Grand Prize: The Hellstrom Chronicle by Walon Green
- Best First Work: Per grazia ricevuta by Nino Manfredi
- 25th Anniversary Prize: Morte a Venezia by Luchino Visconti (also for his whole work)
- FIPRESCI Prize: Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
- OCIC Award: Szerelem by Károly Makk
- Short Film Palme d’Or: Star Spangled Banner by Roger Flint
- Special Mention – Short Film:
- Stuiter by Jan Oonk
- Une Statuette by Carlos Vilardebó
