The China Mail - Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong to join Cannes film festival jury: organisers

Berry and Strong will be joined by best-selling Franco-Moroccan writer Leila Slimani, Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia and Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher on what will be a women-majority judging panel.

The jury will also include South Korean filmmaker Hong Sangsoo, Mexican director Carlos Reygadas, and Democratic Republic of Congo documentary maker Dieudo Hamadi.

They will be responsible for watching the 21 films in competition this year and awarding the prestigious Palme d'Or at the end of the 78th edition of the festival, which takes place from May 13-24.

The women-majority jury is significant because organisers are under pressure to give a greater platform to women filmmakers and show they are serious about tackling gender inequality and sexual harassment.

President Iris Knobloch has promised that the festival will be "attentive" to the recommendations of a hard-hitting parliamentary inquiry into #MeToo abuses in the film industry which reported its findings earlier this month.

Only seven of the films in the main competition have been made by women directors, the joint highest total.

Australian actor Nicole Kidman is set to receive the 10th Women in Motion Award at this year's festival, which honours individuals who "advance the role of women in cinema and in society", organisers also announced Monday.

A little-known French woman director Amelie Bonnin was given the honour of opening the festival on May 13 with her debut feature "Leave One Day", which is the first time a debut film will start the world's most prestigious film festival.

Last year, the festival's jury was chaired by American filmmaker Greta Gerwig ("Barbie") and included French actor Omar Sy and Japanese director Hirokazu.

- Competition -

The 2025 competition line-up includes some heavy-hitting festival circuit favourites including American Wes Anderson, Iranian director Jafar Panahi, the Dardenne brothers from Belgium, and veteran American independent filmmaker Richard Linklater.

Panahi, who has been repeatedly detained and banned from film-making in Iran, will present his latest production, "A Simple Accident".

Compatriot Saeed Roustaee is also set to compete for the main prize with his latest feature, "Mother and Child", three years after showing "Leila's Brothers" in Cannes which led to him being sentenced to six months in prison in Iran.

Other directors in-competition include American horror newcomer Ari Aster, who has cast Joaquin Phoenix in his "Eddington", and compatriot Kelly Reichardt who will premiere her heist drama "The Mastermind" featuring John Magaro.

As well as featuring in Wes Anderson's A-list cast in his "The Phoenician Scheme", Scarlett Johansson is set to present her directorial debut "Eleanor the Great", about an elderly woman coping with the death of her best friend, in the secondary "Un Certain Regard" competition.

She will be competing for honours against the debut film made by fellow American actor Kristen Stewart, with the former Twilight star presenting "The Chronology of Water" in the same category.

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