Cannes Palm Dog Goes to Marie Antoinette's Pug

A tiny pug named Mops, appearing in Sofia Coppola's Cannes competition film "Marie Antoinette," claimed the festival's unofficial canine prize, the Palm Dog, on 26 May 2006.

In the film, the young Marie Antoinette must leave Mops behind in Austria when she travels to France to wed Louis XVI. The dog later gives way to a collection of French canines at Versailles. Jury founder and British journalist Toby Rose called Mops "the most important part of her Austrian identity." The prize itself was a black collar stitched in gold with the award's name.

Rose also announced a broader new awards ceremony for dog performances across world cinema. Called the Barker Awards, the event is scheduled for 19 June in London's West End. Categories will include best historical hound, action mutt, and romantic comedy canine. The overall winner is to receive what organizers describe as the world's first battery-operated trophy.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.