Italian actor and director Nanni Moretti has been named president of the jury for the 65th Cannes Film Festival, which will be held from May 16-27.
“This is a real joy, an honor and a tremendous responsibility to preside over the jury of the most prestigious festival of cinematography in the world, a festival that is held in a country where film has always been treated with interest and respect,” Moretti, who previously served as a member of the jury at the 50th edition of the festival in 1997, said in a statement released by the festival as part of its announcement.
“As a director, I was always very moved when my films were presented at the Festival de Cannes. I also have very happy memories of my experience as a jury member during the fiftieth anniversary season, and of the attentiveness and passion that went into the jury’s viewing.”
Moretti’s most recent film Habemus Papum (We Have a Pope) played at last year’s Cannes fest. He won the Palm d’Or, the festival’s top prize, in 2001 for The Son’s Room, and was named best director in 1994 for Caro diario (Dear Diary). During the curse of his career, he has presented six films at Cannes.
Working as an actor in most of his own films, Moretti also appeared in the Taviani brothers’ Padre Padrone (Father and Master) in 1977.
Festival president Gilles Jacob said, “When we decided to put Ecce Bombo–a super 8 film!–into Competition when I first arrived in 1978, it was because I had a premonition that Nanni Moretti would soon become NANNI MORETTI. This is what happened and I am so gratified to have had this long and affectionate collaboration.”
Thierry Frémaux, the festival’s artistic director, added: “The festival wanted to celebrate its 65th season with a European jury president. High-spirited and marked by his modernity and intelligence, Nanni Moretti’s films are the incarnation of all the best in cinema over the past thirty years. His work is always evolving and continues to carry the promise of film that engages with the world and with our times.”
