Cate Blanchett, Lily Gladstone, Katie Holmes and Michelle Yeoh to Speak at Kering’s Women in Motion Talks

Variety has announced the initial lineup for the Kering Women in Motion talks at the Cannes Film Festival. Moderated by Variety’s Chief Correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister, this year’s talks include some of the most important women working in cinema and offers a mix between up-and-coming talent and iconic figures such as Cate Blanchett and Michelle Yeoh.

On Thursday, May 18, playwright, actor and philanthropist Jeremy O. Harris, who stars in Directors’ Fortnight premiere “The Sweet East,” will kick off the Women in Motion series to discuss female representation in his work.

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Following Harris’ talk, actress and director Katie Holmes will speak about her work as a director and how the industry has changed in its approach to female directors since she first began working in television.

On Saturday, May 20, actress and producer Blanchett will be joined by Dirty Films producer Coco Francini to discuss their film company and their role in supporting female storytelling in film and television. The Dirty Films-produced “The New Boy” is premiering in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes on May 19th.

Following the Blanchett talk, Lily Gladstone will speak ahead of the premiere of Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” featured in the Official Selection, out of competition. Gladstone is an American actress of Blackfeet and Nimíipuu heritage and remains an advocate for Native American representation in film.

On Sunday, May 21, Women in Motion Award recipient Yeoh will be giving a talk ahead of her award presentation at the Kering dinner. Having recently won the Oscar for lead actress, Yeoh will speak about her prolific career in film and television.

On Tuesday, May 23, Eva Longoria will be joined by Stacy L. Smith, associate professor and researcher at the University of Southern California – Annenberg, to discuss how to increase the number of female directors behind studio-backed films.

The Women in Motion talks are invitation only. The talks will appear on Variety.com and its social media accounts, as well as live on Kering’s social media accounts under the official hashtag: #WomenInMotion.

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