Emotions ran high on the final day of screenings, when Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof premiered his film "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" after escaping a prison sentence in his home country just days before the festival.
"The Iranian regime... is in a panic that our stories will be told. It's absurd," Rasoulof told reporters at the festival on Saturday.
It was among 22 entries competing for the Palme d'Or, the top prize of the world's leading film get-together.
Attention now turns to the jury, led by "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig and including actors Omar Sy and Eva Green, which will deliver its verdicts at the closing ceremony late Saturday.
Among the favourites is a highly original musical about a Mexican narco boss having a sex change, "Emilia Perez", by French director Jacques Audiard, who already has a Palme d'Or under his belt.
Critics also loved "Anora" by US indie director Sean Baker, a raw and often hilarious story about a New York erotic dancer who strikes gold with a wealthy client, only to face the wrath of his Russian oligarch parents.
Its star, 25-year-old Mikey Madison, is a serious contender for best actress.
So is comeback queen Demi Moore after rave reviews for her "fearless" performance in "The Substance", an ultra-gory horror film about the pressures women face to maintain bodily perfection as they age.
Directing legend Francis Ford Coppola was spotted at the festival early Saturday, suggesting he may pick up an award later for his Ancient Roman fable "Megalopolis".
Anticipation was sky-high before the festival for his decades-in-the-making epic: could he recreate the 1970s magic of "The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now", when he twice won the Palme d'Or?
But critics were deeply divided over whether it was a profound end-of-life philosophical statement or an incomprehensible mess.
TWEET YOUR COMMENT