Cannes 2025: French actor Juliette Binoche named jury president
What's the story
The 78th edition of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival has announced French actor Juliette Binoche as the President of its Jury for 2025. This is only the second time in the festival's history that a woman has been chosen to lead the jury two years in a row. In 2024, Greta Gerwig led the jury. The announcement comes exactly four decades after Binoche first appeared at Cannes with Andre Techine's Palme d'Or-nominated film Rendez-vous in 1985.
Statement
Binoche expressed gratitude for the role
Expressing her excitement about the role, Binoche reportedly said, "I'm looking forward to sharing these life experiences with the members of the Jury and the public." "In 1985, I walked up the steps for the first time with the enthusiasm and uncertainty of a young actor; I never imagined I'd return 40 years later in this honorary role. I appreciate the privilege, responsibility, and absolute need for humility."
Career journey
Binoche's career and contributions highlighted
Binoche's four-decade-long career—with over 70 credits—began with Rendez-vous. The film earned Techine the Best Director award and catapulted a 21-year-old Binoche to stardom. She has since starred in seven more Palme d'Or contenders including Micheal Haneke's Code Unknown (2000) and Hidden (2007); Abbas Kiarostami's Certified Copy (2010), for which she won Best Actor; David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis (2012); Olivier Assayas's Sils Maria (2014), Bruno Dumont's Slack Bay (2016), and Tran Anh Hung's The Taste Of Things (2023).
Female presidents
Binoche's presidency continues the tradition of female leadership
Binoche now joins a prestigious list of past female presidents of the Cannes jury, including Olivia de Havilland (1965), Sophia Loren (1966), Michele Morgan (1971), Ingrid Bergman (1973), Jeanne Moreau (1975, 1995), Francoise Sagan (1979), Isabelle Adjani (1997), Liv Ullmann (2001), and Jane Campion. The festival drew parallels between Binoche's commitments and those of de Havilland, who defied American studios' dominance and was the President of the Jury in 1965.