The 32nd Cannes Film Festival took place from 10 to 24 May 1979. French writer Françoise Sagan served as jury president for the main competition.
The Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, was jointly awarded to Apocalypse Now by Francis Ford Coppola (screened as a work in progress), and The Tin Drum by Volker Schlöndorff.
Sagan, raised a controversy as she complained about Robert Favre Le Bret, director of the festival, pressure on the jury for the choice of Coppola's film, while she had chosen Schlöndorff's film.
The festival opened with Hair by Miloà ¡ Forman, and closed with An Adventure for Two by Claude Lelouch.
The following feature films competed for the Palme d'Or:
The following films were selected for the Un Certain Regard section:
The following films were selected to be screened out of competition:
The following short films competed for the Short Film Palme d'Or:
The following feature films were screened for the 18th International Critics' Week (18e Semaine de la Critique):
The following films were screened for the 1979 Directors' Fortnight (Quinzaine des Réalizateurs):
The following films and people received the 1979 Official selection awards: