Claire Denis might not have a film ready to debut at this year’s Cannes Film Festival (her latest, “High Life” debuted at last year’s TIFF and is only just now hitting US theaters), but that doesn’t mean the acclaimed French director is going to be missing from the prestigious event.
Deadline is reporting that Denis has been named the president of the jury that will oversee the short films and Cinéfondation (student films) at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Previous jury presidents of these sections have included Naomi Kawase, Cristian Mungiu, and Bertrand Bonello. In the section devoted to short films, the Denis’ jury will hand out the coveted Palme d’Or du court métrage, for Best Short Film. In the student films section, three prizes are normally handed out for the top three entries.
Even though her last film didn’t premiere at the festival, Denis is no stranger to Cannes. Her feature film debut, “Chocolat” was her first film selected to compete at Cannes, back in 1988. After that, she had three other Cannes debuts, including “I Can’t Sleep,” “Trouble Every Day,” and her most recent debut at the festival, “Bastards” in 2013.
Last year, the winner of the Short Film Palme d’Or went to “All These Creatures,” by filmmaker Charles Williams. The prizes given to student films went to Diego Céspedes, Igor Poplauhin, Shen Di, and Lucia Bulgheroni.
The Short Film Palme d’Or has been given to some incredible filmmakers through the years including Jim Jarmusch (1993’s “Coffee and Cigarettes (Somewhere in California)” and Jane Campion (1986’s “Peel”). The latter of which is the only filmmaker to earn both the Short Film Palme d’Or and the feature film Palme d’Or.
This year’s Cannes Film Festival begins on May 14.