This year, the Cannes Film Festival didn’t showcase the biggest movie, “Barbie,” but its director and co-writer, Greta Gerwig, is gearing up for a significant role in next year’s event.
On Thursday, organizers announced that Gerwig will lead the jury at the 77th edition of the festival, happening from May 14-25. In this role, she’ll help choose the winner of the Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize.
It’s a big deal because Gerwig will be the first-ever female American director to take on this role. At 40, she’s also the second youngest person to be jury president, following Sophia Loren, who was 31 when she chaired the jury in 1966.
Thierry Frémaux, the festival’s artistic director, and Iris Knobloch, its president, said that Gerwig was the “obvious choice” for the role. They praised her as a director, writer, and actress who boldly represents the renewal of world cinema and embodies an era breaking down barriers and
blending genres while promoting the values of intelligence and humanism.
Gerwig, known for movies like “Frances Ha,” “Lady Bird,” and “Little Women,” expressed her excitement and gratitude in a news release about her appointment as the jury president. She mentioned feeling stunned, thrilled, and humbled by the opportunity.
As a true movie enthusiast, Gerwig highlighted that Cannes has always been the pinnacle of the universal language of movies, and she eagerly anticipates the exciting journeys that lie ahead for everyone involved.
The lineup for the festival’s 2023 edition is set to be unveiled in April, building anticipation for another memorable celebration of cinema.