After the much-welcome announcements earlier this year that Jane Campion would head this year’s Cannes jury and that Andrea Arnold would preside over Critics Week, more good news has come out of France.
First, French writer-director Rebecca Zlotowski (Grand Central, Dear Prudence) will head two juries at Critics’ Week. She will lead the Discovery competition for shorts and the Visionary award for features.
Next, a film made by two female (Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger) and one male (Samuel Theis) filmmakers will open Un Certain Regard (May 15), devoted to directorial debuts. Party Girl centers on Angelique, a 60-year-old nightclub hostess who still enjoys the partying lifestyle but is resigned to marrying one of her clients.
As we’ve said before, Cannes as an institution has a pretty terrible track record when it comes to gender diversity. Here’s hoping they won’t use Campion, Arnold, or Zlotowski as a shield to deflect criticisms of sexism if the festival does not include women directors in the festival selections.
The Cannes lineup is set to be revealed later this week. We’ll be crossing our fingers that Susanne Bier’s Serena makes the list.
Previously: Jane Campion to Lead Cannes 2014 Jury