Jane Campion to head Cannes jury

Piano director will succeed Steven Spielberg.

by Jennie Kermode

She's the only female director ever to have won the Palme d'Or - for The Piano in 1993 - and now it has been announced that Jane Campion will head the official jury at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

"Since I first went to Cannes with my short films in 1986, I have had the opportunity to see the festival from many sides and my admiration for this Queen of film festivals has only grown larger," said the director in a statement. "At the Cannes Film Festival they manage to combine and celebrate the glamour of the industry, the stars, the parties, the beaches, the business, while rigorously maintaining the festival’s seriousness about the art and excellence of new world cinema."

"We are immensely proud that Jane Campion has accepted our invitation," said the festival's director, Thierry Fremaux. "She is one of those directors who perfectly embody the idea that you can make films as an artist and yet still appeal to a worldwide public."

Although she hasn't released a film since Bright Star in 2009, Campion has recently received acclaim for the television series Top Of The Lake. Her appointment is likely to be seen by some as a response to last year's high profile complaints about the festival's neglect of female filmmakers.

Share this with others on...
News

Between strangers Anthony Chen in capturing emotion in Drift

Art of observation Matthäus Wörle on his collaborative approach to debut documentary Where We Used To Sleep

Gateway between worlds Anu Valia on expectations, reality and We Strangers

The little things Inside the 2024 Glasgow Short Film Festival

Choosing her colours Joe Lawlor and Christine Malloy on Rose Dugdale and Baltimore

Fateful experiences Ron Frank on Remembering Gene Wilder

Filmhouse gets £1.5m funding boost Edinburgh cultural hub set to reopen this year

More news and features

Interact

More competitions coming soon.