Will Smith, Jessica Chastain Join Cannes Jury
JURY’S OUT: Hollywood powerhouses Will Smith and Jessica Chastain are to make up the American contingent of the Cannes Film Festival jury, according to a statement from the festival. While Smith is more known for blockbusters than auteurs films, Chastain, an outspoken advocate for gender equality in Hollywood, is a festival regular. She opened last year’s edition on stage alongside French actor Vincent Lindon, and starred in Terrence Malik’s “Tree of Life,” which scooped the Palme d’Or in 2011.
Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar will preside over the eclectic, nine-strong jury whose other members include Chinese actress and producer Fan Bingbing; Italian director and screenwriter Paolo Sorrentino; German director, screenwriter and producer Maren Ade, and French composer Gabriel Yared.
As reported, Cannes regular Uma Thurman will preside over the jury of the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival‘s official selection, which presents films with a unique perspective and aesthetic and works by little-known directors.
Arnaud Desplechin’s “Ismael’s Ghosts,” starring Marion Cotillard and Charlotte Gainsbourg, will open this year’s festival, which will run May 17 to 28, and celebrate its 70th edition.
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