Celebrated filmmaker Payal Kapadia is making a return to the Cannes Film Festival, this time as a member of its prestigious jury. The announcement comes nearly a year after Kapadia’s debut feature, ‘All We Imagine As Light’, won the Grand Prix at Cannes 2024.
Payal Kapadia and her connection with Cannes Film Festival
An alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Kapadia is no stranger to the iconic French festival. She first appeared at Cannes in 2017 with her short film ‘Afternoon Clouds’, which was showcased under the La Cinefondation section. In 2021, she received further acclaim when her documentary ‘A Night of Knowing Nothing’ clinched the L’Œil d’or (Golden Eye) award for best documentary.
Her Grand Prix-winning film, ‘All We Imagine As Light’, a poignant exploration of female friendship, love, and longing set against the bustling backdrop of Mumbai, also marked a major milestone for Indian cinema — becoming the first Indian film in 30 years to compete in Cannes’ Main Competition.
Cannes 2025
The 78th edition of the festival will see French actress Juliette Binoche leading the jury. Joining her alongside Kapadia are prominent names from the global entertainment industry, including American actress and director Halle Berry, Italian star Alba Rohrwacher, French-Moroccan novelist Leila Slimani, Congolese filmmaker Dieudo Hamadi, Korean auteur Hong Sangsoo, Mexican filmmaker Carlos Reygadas, and American actor Jeremy Strong.
The jury will decide the winners among the 21 films vying for the Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest honour. Last year, director Greta Gerwig and her jury awarded the top prize to Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’.
According to the official Cannes Film Festival website, the winners of this year’s competition will be revealed during the grand closing ceremony on May 24.
