Payal Kapadia to Lead Jury at 65th Cannes Critics’ Week

Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia has been announced as the President of the jury for the 65th Cannes Critics' Week. She will lead a panel of international jury members, including Quebecois actor Théodore Pellerin, singer-songwriter Oklou, Ghanaian-British producer Ama Ampadu, and journalist as well as director of the Bangkok World Film Festival, Donsaron Kovitvanitcha.

Kapadia is known for her poetic and socially aware storytelling, and she has received widespread recognition at international film festivals. Her films often focus on women’s lives, human emotions, relationships, and urban struggles. She explores themes such as gender roles, patriarchy, migration in cities, and loneliness, with a strong emphasis on portraying women’s experiences in modern India.

She has reshaped how Indian stories are told on the global stage—not through grand narratives, but through intimate, emotional truths—emerging as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary filmmaking.

Kapadia said in a statement: “At a time when independent cinema is being eroded in every country, supporting the first works of filmmakers is almost an act of resistance to market forces. Film criticism is one of the key components of the independent and arthouse film ecosystem.

First films are often freer, more daring, and fearless, with a distinct individual voice. Championing them is absolutely essential. These early works are also fragile, and nurturing them in a section like Critics' Week helps them blossom alongside the work of already established filmmakers.”

Her short film Afternoon Clouds was the only Indian short selected for the 70th Cannes Film Festival. In 2021, she won the Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary at the 74th Cannes Film Festival. In 2024, she won the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her fiction feature debut, All We Imagine as Light.

The Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 12 to May 23. South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook has been named President of the jury for the main competition. He is best known for his film Oldboy.

Meanwhile, Kapadia is currently developing two new projects, though details remain under wraps. As she steps into this influential role at Cannes, her appointment not only reflects personal achievement but also signals a broader shift—one that places Indian independent filmmakers firmly within the global cinematic conversation.