Apr 22, 2026 7:56pm IST
Payal Kapadia to Serve as Critics’ Week Jury President at Cannes Film Festival
Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia will serve as president of the jury for the 65th edition of Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival. The section will run from May 13 to 21 in Cannes.
She will be joined on the jury by Quebecois actor Théodore Pellerin, singer-songwriter Oklou, Ghanaian-British producer Ama Ampadu and journalist and Bangkok World Film Festival director Donsaron Kovitvanitcha.
Kapadia has, over the course of her short and feature-length films, built a body of work that combines a poetic approach with a strong political lens. Critics’ Week, in a statement, noted that her films explore themes of class, invisible lives and the realities of women, often drawing from folk narratives and personal histories.
Related Stories
An alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, her short films “Afternoon Clouds” and “And What Is the Summer Saying” were selected at Cinéfondation and the Berlinale. Her debut feature documentary, “A Night of Knowing Nothing,” premiered at Directors’ Fortnight in 2021 and won L’Oeil d’Or for Best Documentary.
Payal Kapadia's second feature, “All We Imagine as Light,” won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2024. Speaking about her appointment, Kapadia said that film festivals played a key role in her early journey, helping her connect with collaborators across the world. She also highlighted the importance of supporting first-time filmmakers, particularly at a time when independent cinema faces increasing pressure.
Payal Kapadia said, “At a time where independent cinema is being eroded in every country, supporting the first works of filmmakers is almost a resistance to the market forces. Film criticism is one of the key components of the independent and arthouse film ecosystem. The first films are often freer, more daring and fearless, having an individual voice and to champion those is absolutely essential."
She added, "First films are also fragile and to be nurtured in a section like Critics’ Week, helps them blossom amongst already established filmmakers’ work.”
As jury president, Payal Kapadia will oversee the selection of winners across categories, including the Ami Paris Grand Prize, the Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award and the Sony Discovery Prize.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.