The lineup for Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival has been announced. Only one of seven films in Competition in the 55th installment of the Cannes’ sidebar is directed by a woman: Julia Ducournau’s “Raw.” That amounts to 14 percent of the lineup, which is disappointingly similar to Cannes’ Main Competition, where the selection is composed of 15 percent female-helmed films.
“Raw” offers an intriguing spin on a female coming-of-age story — it involves cannibalism.
As for the short and medium-length films in Competition at Critics’ Week, four of 10 are by female filmmakers: Rina B. Tsou’s “Arnie,” Cristele Alves Meira’s “Campo De Viboras,” Konstantina Kotzamani’s “Limbo” and Luca Toth’s “Superbia.” The fact that 40 percent of this program is women-directed is noteworthy, particularly when you compare this percentage to the other Competition sections at Cannes.
And there’s more good news from the Critics’ Week unveiling. The high-profile opening film comes from a female filmmaker, Justine Trier’s “In Bed With Victoria.” Trier’s first feature, 2013’s “Age of Panic,” scored her a Cesar nomination for Best First Film.
Three of three closing shorts are directed by women, all of them actresses who made the move behind the camera: Chloe Sevigny’s “Kitty,” Laetitia Casta’s “En Moi” and Sandrine Kiberlain’s “Smile.”
Unfortunately there are no women included in either of the Special Screenings. The two shorts and two features in these categories are all directed by men.
Critics’ Week runs from May 12 to 20. Actress-writer-director Valerie Donzelli (“Marguerite & Julien”) serves as Jury President on a panel that includes Alice Winocour (“Disorder”).
See below for women-directed films screening at Critics’ Week. List adapted from Deadline:
Opening Night Film
“In Bed With Victoria,” dir: Justine Triet (France)
Closing (Short) Films
“Bonne figure” (Smile), dir: Sandrine Kiberlain (France)
“En Moi,” dir: Laetitia Casta (France)
“Kitty,” dir: Chloë Sevigny (U.S.)
Competition
“Raw,” dir: Julia Ducournau (France)
Short and Medium-Length Films in Competition
“Arnie,” dir: Rina B. Tsou (Taiwan, Philippines)
“Campo De Viboras,” dir: Cristèle Alves Meira (Portugal)
“Limbo,” dir: Konstantina Kotzamani (Greece)
“Superbia,” dir: Luca Tóth (Hungary)
[via Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter]
