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| Payal Kapadia, left, then clockwise from top left: Ama Ampadu, Donsaron Kovitvanitcha, Oklou and Théodore Pellerin Photo: Courtesy of Cannes Critics' Week |
She will be joined by Nino star, Quebecois actor Théodore Pellerin, singer-songwriter French Oklou, Ghanean-British producer Ama Ampadu (On Falling, Rose Of Nevada), and journalist and director of the Bangkok World Film Festival Donsaron Kovitvanitcha.
Kapadia has been associated with the festival since her first feature A Night Of Knowing Nothing was selected for Directors’ Fortnight in 2021 and won L’Oeil d’Or for Best Documentary. In 2024, she picked up another accolade at the festival, winning the Grand Prix for her second feature All We Imagine As Light.
Kapadia said: “My own journey as a filmmaker was supported early on because of film festival selections. Through these I had the opportunity to meet others like myself from across the world and helped me build a community of future collaborators”
“At a time where independent cinema is being eroded in every country, supporting the first works of filmmakers is almost a resistance to the market forces. Film criticism is one of the key components of the independent and art house film ecosystem.
“The first films are often freer, more daring and fearless, having an individual voice and to champion those is absolutely essential. First films are also fragile and to be nurtured in a section like Critics Week, helps them blossom amongst already established filmmaker's work.”
Kapadia will present the sidebar's Ami Paris Grand Prize for best feature film, the Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award for best actor or actress, and the Sony Discovery Prize for best short film at the festival, which runs from May 12 to 23.
