Starr, San Dimas Film 'Drive' Takes Best Director at Cannes

CANNES, France—Helmsman Nicolas Winding Refn was awarded the Best Director trophy at the closing ceremonies Sunday night of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for his neo-noir picture Drive, in which adult performers Bobbi Starr and Andy San Dimas appear. Synopsized as "the story of a Hollywood stunt driver by day, a loner by nature who moonlights as a top-notch getaway driver-for-hire in the criminal underworld," Drive stars Ryan Gosling in the lead, with Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, Albert Brooks and Oscar Isaac in supporting roles.  In his acceptance speech, Refn thanked "the Jury for its good taste ... my mother, who always told me I was a genius," and "my wife. You are the real prize; this is just make-believe." When AVN first reported on San Dimas' and Starr's casting in Drive last October, Starr said Refn had sought out girls from the porn world because "none of the girls in the casting had any portion of reality that could mesh with the character." She went on to explain that because Mulligan's character is essentially an adrenalin junkie who gets off on consorting with criminals and other dangerous types, Refn instucted the casting director, "I only want to see strippers, hookers and porn stars." Drive is slated to premiere in the U.S. next September.