CANNES: Anora, an explicit and often hilarious story about a New York erotic dancer, won the Palme d`Or at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, which also saw a first-ever win for a trans actress.

Director Sean Baker was confirmed as one of the leading voices of American indie cinema with the prize, which also promises to make a star of 25-year-old Mikey Madison.She plays a dancer who strikes gold with a wealthy client, only to face the wrath of his Russian oligarch parents.

As head of the jury, Barbie director Greta Gerwig praised Anora as an `incredible, human and humane film that captured our hearts`.

Baker, who made the acclaimed The Florida Project and Red Rocket, said: `This literally has been my singular goal for thepast 30 years, so I`m not really sure what I`m going to do with the rest of my life.

He dedicated the prize to all sex workers and appealed for filmmakers to `keep cinema alive` `This means making films intended for theatrical exhibition,` the 53-year-old said.

`The world has to be reminded that watching a film at home while scrolling through your phone and checking emails andhalf paying attention is justnottheway_ although some tech companies would like us to think so.

`Harmony of sisterhood` The 77th edition of the festival on the French Riviera saw several highly charged feminist and political movies, and lots of gore and sex.

A trans woman won best actress for the first time, as Karla Sofia Gascon took the award for her role in the audaciousmusical Emilia Perez, in which she plays a Mexican narco boss who becomes a woman.

The jury shared it between Gascon and her co-stars Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz saying they were rewarding the `harmony of sisterhood` though only Gascon was at the ceremony.

`Deeply sad` A devastating Iranian film about a family tornapart by the country`s recent women-led protest s, The Seed of the Sacred Fig was given a special jury prize for `drawing attention to unsustainable injustice`.

Its director Mohammad Rasoulof, 51, escaped from Iran to avoid a lengthy prison sentence just before the festival.

Rasoulof said his heart was with the film`s crew, `still under the pressure of the secret services back in Iran`.-AFP