Jane Campion, Abbas Kiarostami, Pablo Trapero and Nicole Garcia will serve as Presidents of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival Juries.

In Competition Jury

Jane Campion will serve as President of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival Jury, leading a panel of 8 other jury members, including director Sofia Coppola and actor Willem Dafoe.

Campion, a New Zealand filmmaker, is the only woman ever to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes, winning for her 1993 film The Piano. Since then, Campion has only had one film in competition at the festival, Bright Star (2009), and has served as President of the Cinéfondation & Short Films Jury.

“It is this world wide inclusiveness and passion for film at the heart of the festival which makes the importance of the Cannes Film Festival indisputable. It is a mythical and exciting festival where amazing things can happen, actors are discovered, films are financed, careers are made, I know this because that is what happened to me! I am truly honored to join with the Cannes Film Festival as President of the In Competition features for 2014, in fact, I can’t wait,” Campion said of her role as President of the Jury.

Joining Campion is French actress Carole Bouquet who is currently starring in NBC’s miniseries remake of Rosemary’s Baby. Sofia Coppola, whose film The Bling Ring kick started the Un Certain Regard film series in 2013, is also serving on the jury with Iranian actress Leila Hatrami (A Separation). Jury member Do-Yeon Jeon is the first Korean to win a Best Acting award at the Cannes Film Festival. Accomplished actors Willem Dafoe and Gael Garcia Bernal are also serving on the Jury. Rounding out the jury are Zhangke Jia, the Chinese filmmaker who won last year’s Best Screenwriter Award for his film Tian Zhu Ding (A Touch of Sin), and 2001’s Best Director winner Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Only God Forgives).

Cinefondation & Short Films Jury

Abbas Kiarostami, an Iranian filmmaker, leads the Cinefondation & Short Film Jury. Kiarostami has been a staple of the Cannes Film Festival since the 90s, especially since he won the Palme d’Or in 1997 for Ta’M E Guilass (Taste of Cherry). He has previously served on three juries, and most recently acted as President of the Camera d’Or Jury in 2005.

“Freed from the constraints of theatre release, financing and what the public wants to see, short films are more personal and, therefore, more artistic. This is why we expect new forms of experimentation from their directors, as well as artistic audacity. The constant renewal essential to the art of cinema is the duty of young filmmakers. This is the very function of their short films, which are far more than mere exercises to enable access to cinema as a profession,” Kiarostami said of his Jury category.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of entertainment news in your in-box.
We find the news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Joining Kiarostami on the Short Films Jury are Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, a director known for his 2010 breakout Un Homme Qui Cri (A Screaming Man), which won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, director Joachim Trier (Oslo, 31, August), multi-media artist, director, writer Daniela Thomas and actress/director Noémie Lvonvsky.

Un Certain Regard Jury

Argentinian director Pablo Trapero leads the Un Certain Regard Jury this year. Trapero first appeared at Cannes in 2002, when he premiered his second feature at the festival El Bonaerense, and has presented four other films at the festival since. In 2004, Trapero served on the Short Films Jury.

“It will never be clear where fiction begins and reality ends. Daily life is full of absurd and inconceivable moments that we can’t even comprehend. Sometimes, we face things in real life that exceeded any notion of fiction. That’s why I believe in fiction, because it is reality,” said Trapero.

Serving alongside Trapero are actress Maria Bonnevie, actress Geraldine Pailhas, head of Criterion Peter Becker and director Moussa Toure.

Camera d’Or Jury

Nicole Garcia, the President of the Camera d’Or Jury, is a prolific actress and filmmaker whose newest film Going Away was just released. Camera d’Or Jury members include actor Richard Anconina, film critic Lisa Nesselson, critic Sophie Grassin, Philippe Van Leeuw, director Helena Klotz and Mikros Image director Gilles Gaillard.

The juries will announce the award winners on Saturday, May 24.

Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Leave a comment