Cannes Jury: Almodóvar, Chastain, Fan Bingbing, and more...
Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 5:00PM 
The complete jury for the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival has been announced. As previously noted, Pedro Almodóvar will preside over the jury. To celebrate, The Film Experience will have "Almodóvar Week" from May 9th through the 15th so catch up with a few of his movies you've always wanted to see. We are currently planning to hit the following pictures in some capacity: Pepi Luci Bom, Dark Habits, What Have I Done to Deserve This?, All About My Mother, Volver, All About My Mother, and The Skin I Live In... though there might be alterations in that schedule or additions.
But, yes, the Cannes jury. They are...
Pedro Almodóvar (Director/Screenwriter/Producer, Spain)
One of the all time great auteurs. He's won two Oscars (All About My Mother, Talk to Her), five BAFTAs (All About My Mother x2, Talk to Her x2, and The Skin I Live In), 3 Goyas (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, All About My Mother, Volver) and both the Director (All About My Mother) and the Screenplay (Volver) prize at previous Cannes festivals. Frustratingly, he's never won the Palme d'Or, though.
Photograph by Vittorio Zunino
Maren Ade (Director/Screenwriter/Producer, Germany)
Hot off of Toni Erdmann, which swept the European Film Awards and which many people thought should have won a prize or two from the jury at last year's Cannes, this invitation makes a ton of sense.
Jessica Chastain (Actress/Producer, US)
Chastain loves a film festival and film festivals love the great actresses
Fan Bingbing (Actress/Producer, China)
Fan Bingbing has been slaying the Cannes red carpet for years, in ways most actresses don't even attempt. We consider this a well earned thank you. Fan Bingbing will follow last year's I Am Not Madame Bovary with the role of the mermaid in 2017's The King's Daughter opposite Pierce Brosnan
Agnes in "The Sweet Escape"
Agnès Jaoui (Actress/Screenwriter/Director/Singer, France)
Her directorial debut The Taste of Others (2000) was nominated for the foreign film Oscar and won 4 César Awards including Best Film. She won the EFA for Best Screenplay for Look at Me (2004) and was recently César nominated for both her screenplay and her performance in The Sweet Escape (2015)
Park Chan-Wook (Director/Screenwriter/Producer, South Korea)
Like Almodóvar he's never won the Palme d'Or despite multiple competition titles, including his best film yet, The Handmaiden (2016). But he has won two prizes at Cannes in the past:Grand Prize of the jury for Oldboy (2003) and the Jury Prize for Thirst (2009)
Will Smith (Actor/Producer/Musician, US)
Despite major nominations (Oscar, Globe, SAG) he has yet to win a major film prize in the US. He does however have an Honorary César from France.
Paolo Sorrentino (Director/Screenwriter, Italy)
He won the Oscar and the BAFTA though not any Cannes prizes for The Great Beauty and he's currently represented on HBO by The Young Pope.
Gabriel Yared (Composer, France)
We love it when the Cannes jury includes a below the line champ. Yared's music is beautiful. Remember his score for Talented Mr Ripley? Swoon. He's currently working with Xavier Dolan a lot (Tom at the Farm, It's Only the End of the World, and the forthcoming The Death and Life of John F Donovan)
With such a great jury with a taste for the heavy stylization and outre storytelling (Pedro AND Chan-Wook AND Sorrentino) we'll be very disappointed if the Palme d'Or goes to something traditional-ish!
Reader Comments (16)
This jury makes me feel excited for the prospect of Haynes!!
Huppert's chances of winning seem increased to me with her biggest fan Chastain on the list.
This could be good to Sofia Coppola if the movie is good. This jury reads MOODY.
I think they only call for Will Smith 'cause...
Viola Davis
Angela Bassett
Lupita N'Yongo
Octavia Spencer
Taraji P. Henson
Naomie Harris
Barry Jenkins
Steve McQueen
Spike Lee
Samuel L. Jackson
Forest Whitaker
Lawrence Fishburne
Morgan Freeman
Idris Elba
Are with the Fullmetal shedule. So much more BLACK POWERFULL names them Will argh Smith.
Fullmetal shedule = full shedule
I love Agnes Jaoui! If you haven't seen her movies yet, you are in for a treat.
I love Jessica Chastain too. She is always so enthusiastic about other people's good work, which is fun and refreshing.
There many great black actors like Denzel or Viola yet they choose Smith over them.
I know Fan Bingbing are goddess of red carpet but as Judge...sorry many actresses in China deserved its slot over her but many of them like Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi already became jury though...but Diane Kruger, Sienna Miller (for which i questioned what is criteria as Cannes Jury) were jury too in past Cannes....so yeah okay
I have high hope toward Cannes this year. The Jury Lineup very diverse and unconventional like Park, Almodovar and Sorrentino
I will say Todd Haynes, Bong Joon-ho, and Michael Haneke have biggest chance to win considered Todd Haynes ( respected LGBT filmaker ) has Almodovar, Park, Sorrentino ( especially Park made Handmaiden last year), Michael Haneke is Cannes Maestro and his leading lady's biggest fangirl among the Jury, and Bong has Park Chan Wook, his BFF, i expected Park will championed Bong's film mostly.
But i hope with presence of Female Directors, we will get female winner.
My Hopeful Cannes Award :
Palme D'or : Wonderstruck or Happy End
Grand Prix : Loveless or Killing of Sacred Deer or Happy End
Jury Prize : Lotnisza or Ramsay
Best Director : Bong Joon-ho
Best Screenplay : Lanthimos or Akin
Best Actor : Phoenix or Farrel
Best Actress : Huppert vs Moore vs Kidman
The Oscars (wins and noms) Pedro's filmography should have...
Law of Desire: Original Screenplay, Supporting Actor (Antonio Banderas), Foreign Film
What have I done to deserve this: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Actress (Carmen Maura), Supporting Actress (Verónica Forqué), Foreign Film
Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown: Picture (win), Director (win), Actress (Carmen Maura, win), Supporting Actress (María Barranco), Supporting Actress (Julieta Serrano), Original Screenplay (win), Film Editing, Foreign Film (win)
Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down: Lead Actor (Antonio Banderas)
Kika: Supporting Actress (Rossy de Palma)
The Flower of my Secret Supporting Actress (Rossy de Palma), Supporting Actress (Chus Lampreave)
All about my mother: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Actress (Cecilia Roth), Supporting Actress (Antonia San Juan), Cinematography, Foreign Film (win)
Talk to Her: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay (win), Actor (Javier Cámara, I'd live with him winning but it was a strong year), Film Editing, Cinematography, Score, Foreign Film (win)
Bad Education: Actor (Gabriel García Bernal), Supp. Actor (Javier Cámara, win), Original Screenplay, Foregin Film
Volver: Actress (Penélope Cruz), Supp. Actress (Carmen Maura, win), Original Screenplay, Foreign Film
Broken Embraces: Actress (Penélope Cruz)
The Skin I live in: Picture, Director, Actor (Antonio Banderas, win), Adapted Screenplay (win), Production Design, Cinematography, Film Editing, Score, Foreign Film (win)
I'm So Excited: Supp. Actor (Javier Cámara)
Julieta: Adapted Screenplay, Actress (Emma Suárez), Supp. Actress (Rossy de Palma, win), Foreign Film
I may have slipped some, but my opinion..
I don't think Denzel Washington will accept to be a member of jury at a cannes festival. Why in his long career has never accepted to be part of it? Has they offered to him before? If they offer him be president of jury he will say: yes, yes, yes!!!!!
Jon -- not following what you mean about the "full schedule"
Will Smith is a global brand movie star. His inclusion makes sense to me. And knowing some of the poor choices Cannes juries can make I'm fine with him shouldering the blame or the praise if they happen to do the right thing this year.
What the fuck is Will Smith doing in that jury?! -
he's got no taste! He's not into art films or the auteurs who make them
- he only makes popcorn movies, and I bet he only sees popcorn movies.
He's gonna be so bored out of his skull watching all those foreign movies - he's gonna be like, "oh no, I have to read subtitles!"...
I would love to be a fly on the wall while the jury deliberates, just to hear Will Smith's stupid thoughts...
Ulrich. If Lars Von Trier will be Cannes Jury...it will be full of DRAMA
@ NATHANIEL R
Full shedule = full agenda, working a lot and no time to do other things.
Jessica and Isabelle need to work together again soon.