PARIS – Oscar and César winner Juliette Binoche has been named president of the Cannes Film Festival jury’s 78th edition.
The South of France film festival will see Binoche return to the Croisette to oversee the main competition jury that is responsible for awarding the coveted Palme d’Or for the top film.
“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 actress; I never imagined I’d return 40 years later in the honorary role of president of the jury,” Binoche said. “I appreciate the privilege, the responsibility and the absolute need for humility.”
Binoche is a Cannes Festival regular throughout the years, with her first when she starred in André Téchiné’s “Rendez-vous.”
She went on to appear in several selected films throughout the years. She won the best actress prize there in 2010 for “Certified Copy,” and starred in “The Taste of Things,” which won the best director prize in 2023.
Binoche took to the stage at last year’s opening ceremony to present Meryl Streep with the Honorary Palme d’Or. She was overcome with emotion upon presenting the award to Streep, wiping away tears for “changing the way we look at women” through her work over the years.
Binoche wore Dior throughout last year’s festival, opening the event with an off-the-shoulder red gown designed by women’s artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri. Later she wore a white suit also by Chiuri, and told WWD that working with the designer had been collaborative.
“She’s been sending me sketches by text, and we go back and forth,” Binoche said at the time. “I just love her. She’s very simple, and she’s very reachable. It’s so cool to work like that.”
The actress has become a front-row regular during Paris Fashion Week, especially since playing Coco Chanel in AppleTV+’s “The New Look.”
Binoche told WWD that the role opened her up to attend more fashion shows. “It’s my way to continue this journey,” she said during Courrèges spring 2025 show last September. She’s also been in the front row of Armani Privé, Dior, and Kenzo.
The remainder of the jury will be announced mid-April. This year’s festival runs from May 13 to 24.
