Xavier Dolan named president of the Un certain regard jury of Cannes

Filmmaker Xavier Dolan, who received the jury prize for Mommy at the 67th Festival de Cannes in 2014, has been named President of the Un Certain Regard jury of the 77th edition of the Cannes International Film Festival.

As President of the jury, Dolan is expected to lead other respected jurors to celebrate ‘the thirst for discovery and passion for other talents’ as he declared while accepting the jury prize, he won in 2014. Dolan said he is humbled and delighted to be returning to Cannes as President of the Un Certain Regards jury.

“Even more than making films myself, discovering the work of talented filmmakers has always been at the very heart of both my personal and professional journeys. I see, in this responsibility I’m assigned, the opportunity to focus with the members of the Un Certain Regard Jury on an essential aspect of the art of film: stories told truthfully,” declared Dolan.

Self-taught, Dolan wrote, directed, produced and starred in his first feature film, I Killed My Mother, at 19. Adapted from a short story he had written a few years earlier, this trial stroke was a master stroke and was chosen to represent Canada for the Academy Awards. In 2010, reveals his multifaceted talent by being responsible his second film’s art direction, costumes and editing.

With Heartbeats, he made his first entrance in Un Certain Regard when he was just 21. Two years later, Laurence Anyways that premiered at Un Certain Regard won the section’s award for Best Actress ex-aequo for Suzanne Clément. His first award in Cannes highlighted Xavier Dolan’s delicate sense for directing actors and actresses, with whom he has developed loyal, intense collaborations. Mommy gave new exceptional roles to Anne Dorval and Suzanne Clément, after the psychological thriller Tom at the Farm.

This fifth feature –his first in Competition– depicts a single mother’s difficulties in raising her son. With deep emotion and poetry, he received from the hand of the New Zealand director Jane Campion, the Jury Prize tied with Jean-Luc Godard’s Goodbye to Language. The following year, Dolan joined the Jury chaired by the Coen brothers at the 68th Festival de Cannes. His return to directing sounded like a new declaration of love to actors and audiences alike. It’s Only the End of the World, an adaptation of Jean-Luc Lagarce’s play, will be awarded the Grand Prix at the 69th Festival de Cannes. In 2022, Xavier Dolan then directed his first TV series, The Night Logan Woke Up.

Pitcher Award jury presidents for channel and good categories announced
Organiser of the Pitcher Festival have announced the appointment of two additional jury presidents for the 2024 Pitcher Awards Good and Channel categories.

The Good category with Roz Thomas, CEO Africa, Hill & Knowlton, Cape Town, South Africa, as jury president will judge communications or initiatives by both for-profit and nonprofit organizations that address social or environmental issues.

The Channel category with Patrick Gomes, Chief Executive Officer, digitXplus, Lagos, Nigeria, as jury president will review and reward excellence in media planning and execution as well as use of media, data, insights and strategy. “Stories of impact so rarely get the limelight they deserve. Being part of the team that will highlight the creativity that agencies are bringing to tell stories of impact is incredibly meaningful to me and a primary reason I accepted the invitation for Jury President for the Good category for a second year. I was very impressed with last year’s entries and am looking forward to seeing the 2024 entries.” Said Roz Thomas who declared that she was happy to be part of Pitcher Awards 2024.

For Patrick Gomes, Pitcher Festival of Creativity has been the inspiration for the Advertising and Media Ecosystem in Nigeria for years. ‘’It has widened the territory to West Africa to Africa, and now indeed borderless opening doors to the entire World, to only recognize and celebrate good work’’ he said. The Pitcher Awards is open to work created or implemented anywhere in Africa or for the African diaspora communities worldwide. The main categories are Channel, Digital, Entertainment, Good, Heritage, Culture, Craft and Effectiveness. The entry deadline is March 31, 2024.

Entries open for African International indigenous language film festival
Call for entries for the second diet of the African Indigenous Language Film Festival (AILFF) is now open. Organisers say call for entries will close on May 15, 2024 while the festival will hold in Lagos as from June 3 through to June 6. According to the founder and CEO of the Festival, Osezua Stephen- Imobhio, the 2024 edition will highlight Africa’s cultural richness and tourism potentials.

‘’By showcasing indigenous languages and traditions, this event empowers local communities. Through film screenings, workshops, and exhibits, it fosters dialogue between filmmakers, tourism professionals, and cultural enthusiasts,” said Imohbio who doubles as the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Film Festival Association (NFFA). The festival accepts only films in Africa indigenous languages and all entries must be subtitled. Information on the festival can be sourced from ailfffilmfestival@gmail.com