Ranking the Most Brilliant Canine Performances in the Cannes Since 2001

Uggie, who was featured in one of the most polarizing Best Picture-winning flicks of all time, was provided a stage to show off his talents and tricks working alongside his on-screen owner.

French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius's The Artist may have paid an ode to an era of silent films, but what makes Uggie most deserving of his mantle on this list is the fact the Cannes institution itself crowned him "Palm Dog of Palm Dogs" in 2020, during the pandemic, when the awarding ceremony was canceled.

Uggie unfortunately died a few years after the release of The Artist, making his performance all the more memorable.

Messi played the chilling role of family dog Snoop in Justine Triet's French thriller flick, Anatomy of a Fall.

Triet previously described Snoop as not just another "animal running around" but rather as huge a part of the film's ensemble "as any of the other actors."

The first-ever dog to kickstart the Palm Dog Awards was way back in 2001, thanks to The Anniversary Party, which served as Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming's directorial collaboration.

Deservedly so, Otis was blending well in the background of the flick while still being a part of the story. He eventually won (and unknowingly) kickstarted the now-annual Palm Dog Awards.

Otis went on to star next in 2005's Son of the Mask, which also starred Cumming.

We could never get rid of Quentin Tarantino's legendary canine, Sayuri, off this list. He bagged the 2019 Palm Dog awards during the annual celebration for playing Cliff Booth's (played by Brad Pitt) best friend, Brandy the Pitbull.

The film director himself made a surprise appearance at the Palm Dog Awards to dedicate the collar to his "wonderful actress Brandy" who "brought the Palm Dog home to America."

Of course, who could forget one of the classic special-effects dogs to grace the big screens?

Dug's collar allows him to speak what he's really thinking in Pixar's Up to Carl (Edward Asner) and boy scout Russell (Jordan Nagai).

Dug (voiced by Bob Peterson) exudes what every human wants to hear on how a dog thinks when they think of (squirrel-!) whenever they're off exploring on their own.

What could be better than a single starring canine in a film? A bunch of staring canine ensembles in the 2015 Hungarian film White God.

Kornél Mundruczó’s White God demonstrates both stray and abandoned dogs standing their ground through a canine revolution against their human abusers, which not only turns the deal on destructive humans but also for Hagen (the dog) and Lili (Zsófia Psotta) to find their own growth in separation.

What makes Nellie's performance memorable in Paterson (2015) is not only because she was the driver behind the titular character rediscovering his life as an amateur poet, but because the canine died after wrapping up filming.

Nellie died at eight years old and became the first Palm Dog winner to receive the award posthumously, with producer Carter Logan accepting the golden collar in their place.

Nellie initially happened to be a regular character in Legally Blonde: The Musical while appearing in more than 700 shows consecutively.

Similar to White God (2015), the Mid Road Gang is a 2007 Thai comedy-drama that follows a pack of stray dogs trying to find a better life in suburban Bangkok.

The same pack took home the Palm Dog collar in 2007 while being nominated alongside Yuki from the animated feature Persepolis. Mid Road Gang undoubtedly became a classic trip down memory lane for Thai movie lovers.

Nothing beats telling a good old tragedy story between a beloved pet and its owner having to go their separate ways due to suffering from poverty and being homeless.

The Wendy and Lucy movie follows Michelle Williams trying to navigate her life while balancing her emotional bond with her only street companion, Lucy.

The emotional 2008 flick shows the heartwrenching story of Wendy (Michelle Williams) having been arrested for shoplifting dog food to sustain Lucy, only to return to find her dog gone after she posts bail.