French actress Anaïs Demoustier has been announced as the president of the Cannes Film Festival’s Caméra d’Or jury for the upcoming 76th edition running from May 16 to 27.
The award for the best first film is open to all the debut feature films presented in Official Selection and the parallel sections of Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week.
She will be joined in the jury by actor Raphaël Personnaz, DoP Nathalie Durand, screenwriter and director Mikael Buch, Sophie Frilley, who is the head of subtitling company Titrafilm, and film critic and journalist Nicolas Marcadé.
“Among my greatest joys as a spectator is seeing the debut film of a director who goes on to become a major force. A gesture, the first one, one that forever anchors the necessity of a director and creates a desire to see him or her begin again,” said Demoustier.
“As an actress, I’ve been lucky to experience alongside young directors the delicate balance between nervous energy and a desire to see through their first creation. I am very honoured and looking forward to discovering debut films at Cannes this year as President of the Caméra d’or Jury. Promises and surprises from around the world to remind us how important cinema is,” she added.
Demoustier is Cannes regular who hit the red carpet last year with November and Smoking Causes Coughing, while she received praise on the international festival and arthouse circuit for her performance in the 2021 Critics’ Week selection Anaïs in Love.
Demoustier follows in the wake of Rossy de Palma, whose 2022 jury feted Riley Keough and Gina Gammel’s War Pony.
Other past recipients of the award include Jim Jarmusch, Jafar Panahi, Ildikó Enyedi, Steve McQueen and Anthony Chen.
