Fargo is a 1996 American black comedy crime thriller written, produced, edited, and directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. It stars William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare and John Carroll Lynch. Fargo premiered at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival where Joel Coen won the festival's Prix de la mise en scène (Best Director Award) and the film was nominated for the Palme d'Or. The American Film Institute named it one of the 100 greatest American movies of all time in 1998.