Panda, an Icelandic Sheepdog, won the prestigious Palm Dog Award at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, as announced on Friday, May 23, 2025.
Panda stars in the film “The Love That Remains”, directed by Icelandic filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason. The movie tells the story of five characters—including Panda.
The Palm Dog ceremony, held on the sands of Cannes one day before the official Palme d’Or is awarded, featured a symbolic moment. Although Panda couldn’t attend in person, a look-alike dog was present to receive the prize, accompanied by one of the film’s producers. Panda sent a video message from a car driving through the Icelandic mountains to thank the festival.
This year’s awards were especially significant as they marked the 25th anniversary of the Palm Dog, which honors standout canine performances in cinema.
Toby Rose, the award’s founder, said the goal is to show that dogs can also play meaningful roles in art.
