The 30th Cannes Film Festival was held from 13 to 27 May 1977. The Palme d'Or went to the Padre Padrone by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. A new non-competitive section, "Le Passé composé", is held at this festival only and focuses on compilations. This section, along with sections "Les Yeux fertiles" and "L'Air du temps" of the previous two years, were integrated into Un Certain Regard in 1978.

The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film. In 1964, the Palme d'Or was replaced again by the Grand Prix, before being reintroduced in 1975.