In Cannes, Nicole Kidman received the Women In Motion 2025 award. More than a tribute to her career, this distinction recognizes an actress who, for more than twenty years, has made cinema a platform for women's activism.

Twilight falls on the Croisette. A sea breeze drifts through the palm trees of the Palais des Festivals, where Cannes celebrates not only cinema, but also those who shape it. On this May 18, 2025, the Festival honors a singular voice: Nicole Kidman, to whom Kering and the Cannes Film Festival have presented the 2025 Women In Motion Award.
This prize, launched ten years ago, recognizes women who have advanced the role of women in cinema. It is awarded to an actress who has consistently challenged representations and used her fame to serve powerful female narratives.

Kidman wasn't born an activist, but she became one through the demanding nature of her choices. From the outset To Die For (1995), she twisted the polished image of a Hollywood star by playing a news anchor willing to do anything to succeed, in a chilling satire of the media. In 1999, under the direction of Stanley Kubrick, she revealed in Eyes Wide Shut a profoundly moving inner world, courageously affirming the complexity of female desire.
His subsequent roles, of The Hours (Oscar in 2003) to Dogville by Lars von Trier or Birth Jonathan Glazer's work paints a portrait of an actress who shrinks neither from the abyss nor from radicalism. She puts her body at the service of roles that question power, pain, motherhood, and symbolic violence.

In 2010, Nicole Kidman founded Blossom Films, her production company. Far from being a simple vehicle for her own projects, it becomes a springboard for stories told by women, both in front of and behind the camera. Big Little LiesThe series, which she co-produced and starred in, became a global phenomenon. It tackled domestic violence, class tensions, and sisterhood dynamics head-on, while showcasing a largely female creative team.
During his visit to Cannes in 2017 for The preys by Sofia Coppola, Kidman had stated her intention to working with a female director every 18 monthsEight years later, she kept her promise: 19 female directors have collaborated with her ever since. This is not a slogan, it is a pact of action.

A discreet but determined activist

While Nicole Kidman doesn't proclaim her activism in every speech, she has been active for a long time. As a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and then for UN Women, she works for the rights of women and children worldwide. She supports cancer research alongside her husband, Keith Urban, with whom she has raised several million dollars for public health causes.
In Cannes, she reiterated how "essential it is to continue opening doors, so that today's young girls become tomorrow's directors." A deep conviction, embodied in her concrete actions.

In 2025, 32% A significant number of films in official competition at Cannes are directed by women. This is an encouraging figure, but it also serves as a reminder that the road to true gender parity is still long. The Women In Motion program, launched in 2015 by Kering, is working towards this transformation. In ten years, it has supported hundreds of initiatives, promoted research on gender inequality, and highlighted committed figures in the industry.
By honoring Nicole Kidman, he celebrates an artist dedicated to a cinema that liberates rather than confines. A cinema where women are not merely muses, but authors of their own destinies.

An evening dedicated to committed elegance

On the evening of May 18th, Place de la Castre has transformed into an open stage for beauty and intelligence. The Presidential dinner for the Women In Motion Awards 2025 brought together prominent figures to celebrate this landmark edition of the Festival. Many of them wore creations Gucciillustrating the collaboration between art, fashion and the message.

Juliette Binoche, president of the jury, wore an embroidered high-necked dress from Gucci's Fall/Winter 2025 collection, paired with a green silk scarf. Halle Berry shone in a crystal gown. Salma Hayek Pinault, meanwhile, sported an emerald green creation embellished with feathers and high jewelry. Dakota Johnson, Julia Ducournau, Julia Garner, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Paul Mescal, Zhang Linghe, Kim Gordon, and Noée Abita—all exemplified this fusion of commitment and refinement.