Cate Blanchett is set to serve on one of the world’s most glamorous juries. Cannes Film Festival has announced that the two-time Oscar winner is their 2018 Jury President.
“I have been to Cannes in many guises over the years; as an actress, producer, in the marketplace, the Gala-sphere, and in Competition, but never solely for the sheer pleasure of watching the cornucopia of films this great festival harbors,” she said.
Blanchett famously took film execs to task when she accepted an Oscar — her second — for “Blue Jasmine” back in 2014. She criticized those in the industry “who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films with women at the center are niche experiences.” She declared, “They are not [niche experiences]. Audiences want to see them and, in fact, they earn money. The world is round, people.”
Last year Cannes juror Jessica Chastain addressed the depictions of women she saw at the fest. “This is the first time I watched 20 films in 10 days, and what I really took away from this experience is how the world views women,” the “Molly’s Game” actress said. “It was quite disturbing to me, to be honest. There were quite some exceptions. I was surprised by the representation of female characters on film.”
Cannes is also notorious for shutting out women directors from their main Competition lineup. Last year female helmers represented just 16 percent of those in the running for the fest’s most prestigious prize, the Palme d’Or. Only one female director has ever won the award: Jane Campion for “The Piano.” Campion served as Jury President in 2014. Since 2000, the only other women who have held the role are “Elle” star Isabelle Huppert and actress-director Liv Ullman.
Blanchett stated that she’s “humbled by the privilege and responsibility of presiding over this year’s jury,” and acknowledged that the fest “plays a pivotal role in bringing the world together to celebrate story; that strange and vital endeavor that all peoples share, understand, and crave.”
Given Blanchett’s powerful Oscar speech and her feelings about the influence Cannes wields, it seems likely that she’ll call out any sexist bullshit she sees at the fest.
Blanchett was last seen in “Thor: Ragnarok.” She won her first Oscar for “The Aviator,” and received nods for “Carol,” “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” “I’m Not There,” “Notes on a Scandal,” and “Elizabeth.”
Cannes runs from May 8–19. The lineup hasn’t been announced yet.
