Juliette Binoche to Lead the Jury at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival

Juliette Binoche, the acclaimed Oscar and César-winning actress, has been tapped to serve as the President of the Jury for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Set to take place from May 13 to 24 along the picturesque French Riviera, Binoche will oversee the prestigious main competition jury, which will feature a diverse group of international filmmakers and actors.

A true Cannes fixture, Binoche’s journey with the festival began in 1985 when André Téchiné’s Rendez-vous launched her into the spotlight, making her the darling of the event. This year marks the 40th anniversary of that milestone, a testament to how deeply her career is entwined with Cannes’ legacy. Over the years, she has brought numerous films to the festival, from the works of Michael Haneke and Claire Denis to her standout performance in Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy, which earned her the Best Actress award in 2010. In 2023, she had the honor of presenting Meryl Streep with the Honorary Palme d’Or. More recently, Binoche starred in The Taste of Things, a film by director Anh Hung Tran, which garnered acclaim at the 2023 festival, with Tran winning Best Director.

“I’m excited to share these life experiences with the members of the Jury and the public,” Binoche shared in a statement. “In 1985, I climbed the steps for the first time, filled with the enthusiasm and uncertainty of a young actress. I never imagined that, 40 years later, I’d return in the esteemed role of Jury President. I’m deeply grateful for this privilege, this responsibility, and the undeniable need for humility.”

Following in the footsteps of last year’s jury president, Greta Gerwig, who oversaw a remarkable selection of awards, including prizes for Oscar contenders Anora, Emilia Pérez, and The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Binoche steps into a festival with increasing influence on the Oscars. In recent years, Cannes has served as a predictor for Academy Award success, with films like Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest taking home major Oscars in 2023, thanks to Ruben Östlund’s jury.

While Binoche follows a long line of esteemed female jury presidents such as Cate Blanchett, Isabelle Huppert, Jane Campion, and Jeanne Moreau, her appointment marks only the second time in Cannes history that one woman has succeeded another in this prestigious role. The first instance was in 1966, when Sophia Loren followed Olivia de Havilland.

The 2025 Cannes Film Festival will culminate with the Palme d’Or and other coveted prizes on May 24, with an exciting lineup yet to be revealed this spring. Anticipation is high for potential new films from directors like Lynne Ramsay, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Jim Jarmusch, Joachim Trier, Julia Ducournau, Kelly Reichardt, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Andrey Zvyagintsev, and Bi Gan.