With the Sundance Film Festival kicking off this week, and Berlin just around the corner, we could certainly use a bit of a breather, but it looks the movie world is storming right along. With red carpets getting their last cleaning before rolling out in Park City and Berlin, the folks at the Cannes Film Festival are starting to get things together for their annual celebration of the finest cinema has to offer, and it starts with the jury president. Or rather, presidents.
Cannes has announced that Joel and Ethan Coen will preside in the jury this year, marking the first time there will be two people chairing the group. The Coens are old favorites on the Croisette, winning the Palme d’Or for "Barton Fink," Best Director for "Fargo" and "The Man Who Wasn’t There," as well as the Grand Jury Prize for "Inside Llewyn Davis." And in 2015, instead of receiving honors, they’ll get to hand them out instead.
The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 13th to 24th. Press release is below.
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For the first time in the history of the Festival de Cannes, not one but two leading figures will chair the Jury.
Indeed, American filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen have accepted the invitation from President Pierre Lescure and General Delegate Thierry Frémaux to become the Presidents of the 68th edition of the Festival.
"We look forward to returning to Cannes this year”, Joel and Ethan Coen said from the Hail Caesar! film shoot with George Clooney, Christophe Lambert, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Josh Brolin and Channing Tatum.“We welcome as always the opportunity to watch movies there from all over the world. Cannes is a festival that has been important to us since the very beginning of our career. Presiding over the Jury is a special honour, since we have never heretofore been president of anything. We will issue further proclamations at the appropriate time."
2015 is the celebration of 120 years since the invention of the Lumière cinematograph, and the Festival de Cannes will be pleased to recognise, through the Coens, the work of all “cinema brothers” who, since Louis and Auguste Lumière, have enriched its history. The Festival has also had the opportunity to welcome “brothers” in a great way: like Joel and Ethan Coen who won the Palme d’or in 1991, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani received it in 1976, as well as Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne in 1998 and in 2005.
The Festival de Cannes will take place from Wednesday 13 until Sunday 24 May 2015. The composition of the Official Selection and the members of the Jury will be unveiled in mid-April.
