Current:Home > NewsGreta Gerwig named 2024 Cannes Film Festival jury president, first American female director in job-LoTradeCoin
Greta Gerwig named 2024 Cannes Film Festival jury president, first American female director in job
View Date:2024-12-23 23:42:04
PARIS — Greta Gerwig, actor, writer and film director, notably for the blockbuster "Barbie," will preside over the jury of the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May, the first American female director to be named jury president, the festival announced Thursday.
At 40, Gerwig is also the youngest person to take on that role since Sofia Loren, who headed the Cannes jury in 1966 at age 31, the festival noted in a statement.
"I'm overwhelmed, enthusiastic and touched with humility," the statement quoted Gerwig as saying. "I can't wait to discover what voyages await us!" She described Cannes as "the pinnacle of what the universal language of movies can be."
'Barbie' review:Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling dazzle in hilariously heady toy story
Festival officials, too, were excited, about their choice for jury president for the May 14-25 festival on the French Riviera, a premiere film extravaganza.
"This is an obvious choice, since Greta Gerwig so audaciously embodies the renewal of world cinema, for which Cannes is each year both the forerunner and the sounding board," said festival president Iris Knobloch and general delegate Thierry Frémaux.
More:Margot Robbie tells Cillian Murphy an 'Oppenheimer' producer asked her to move 'Barbie' release
Gerwig also marks "an era that is breaking down barriers and mixing genres, and thereby elevating the values of intelligence and humanism," they added.
One other American woman has led the Cannes jury: Olivia de Haviland in 1965. Unlike Gerwig, the actress never directed movies.
Gerwig began her career as an actress before moving into writing movies, then co-directing and finally flying solo in the director's chair, notably with "Lady Bird" in 2017 — nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Director, followed by "Little Women," then "Barbie," released last July. There, she transformed the famous Barbie doll into a living young woman, raucously exploring sexism and women's independence.
Interview:Margot Robbie never thought she'd have 'empathy for a doll.' Then she made 'Barbie.'
"An international cultural phenomenon, Barbie is the biggest success of the year and has made Greta Gerwig the most bankable female film director in history," the statement by the Cannes Festival said.Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund headed last year's festival.
The rest of the jury has yet to be announced. Films competing in the 2024 film festival are to be unveiled in mid-April.
More:'Anatomy of a Fall' director Justine Triet wins Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or award
veryGood! (48341)
Related
- Where you retire could affect your tax bill. Here's how.
- Idaho man arrested after flying stolen plane from North Las Vegas into California
- Halle Bailey’s Boyfriend DDG Calls Out “Weird” Interest in Their Relationship After Baby Question
- Fox News host Sean Hannity says he moved to 'the free state of Florida' from New York
- Amazon Black Friday 2024 sales event will start Nov. 21: See some of the deals
- Bangladesh court sentences Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to 6 months in jail for violating labor laws
- 13-year-old gamer becomes the first to beat the ‘unbeatable’ Tetris — by breaking it
- Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper fined by NFL for throwing drink into stands
- NFL power rankings Week 11: Steelers, Eagles enjoying stealthy rises
- Is Patrick Mahomes playing in Chiefs' Week 18 game? Kansas City to sit QB for finale
Ranking
- BITFII Introduce
- What a pot of gumbo can teach us about disinflation
- GOP wants to impeach a stalwart Maine secretary who cut Trump from ballot. They face long odds
- South Korean opposition leader is recovering well from surgery after stabbing attack, doctor says
- Tom Brady Shares How He's Preparing for Son Jack to Be a Stud
- El Salvador President Nayib Bukele takes his reelection campaign beyond the borders
- Doctors and nurses at one of the nation's top trauma centers reflect on increase in gun violence
- Gypsy Rose Blanchard Defends Husband Ryan Anderson From “Jealous” Haters
Recommendation
-
Ranked voting will decide a pivotal congressional race. How does that work?
-
NASA spacecraft makes its closest-ever approach to Jupiter's moon Io, releases new images of the solar system's most volcanic world
-
50 ice anglers rescued from Minnesota lake in latest accident due to warm temperatures
-
Fans Think Taylor Swift’s Resurfaced 2009 Interview Proves Travis Kelce Is End Game
-
Early Black Friday Deals: 70% Off Apple, Dyson, Tarte, Barefoot Dreams, Le Creuset & More + Free Shipping
-
Meet the newest breed to join the American Kennel Club, a little dog with a big smile
-
Travis Kelce reflects on spending first New Year’s Eve with Taylor Swift
-
US job openings fell slightly in November but remain high by historic standards