The Cannes Film Festival's new boss is set to begin her mandate on 1 July, after the prestigious international event holds its 75th edition. German lawyer and businesswoman Iris Knobloch will take over from Pierre Lescure, who has been at the helm since 2014. However, the choice of Knobloch, far from unanimous, has raised concerns among industry professionals.
Elected in a secret ballot by the French Association of the International Film Festival (AFFIF), which puts on the festival, Knobloch will become the first woman to head up Cannes since its creation in 1946.
She will preside over the next three Cannes Film festivals from 2023-2025.
Knobloch said she was "thrilled" at the new challenge, adding "it was necessary to save culture, in a world that needs it more than ever".
"As a heartfelt European, I have always stood for cinema throughout my career, both in France and internationally, and I’m thrilled to be able to give my all so that this world event remains influential."
Born in Germany, Knobloch started her career as a lawyer in Munich, before moving to the United States.
She spent 25 years in various leadership roles at WarnerMedia in Los Angeles and London, including 15 years as the CEO of Warner Bros France.
During this time, Warner Bros France was associated with numerous award-winning film at Cannes: the 25th anniversary of Unforgiven by Clint Eastwood, Christopher Nolan's restoration of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Steven Soderbergh's Che, which earned Benicio del Toro the best actor award, among others.
Knobloch was also a fervent defender of the silent black and white French film The Artist by Michel Hazanavicius, produced by Thomas Langmann, which went on to become a worldwide hit, earning Jean Dujardin the award for best actor at the Oscars.
In 2020 as she became the CEO of WarnerMedia France, Benelux, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Outgoing Cannes president Lescure said he would "gladly" pass the torch on to Knobloch, who he said would "undoubtedly show vision and talent in her new position".
"When I was reelected in June 2020, I expressed my wish to ensure my succession before the end of my third mandate, and a woman taking over should be paramount."
Sharp business sense
As well as her knowledge of the cinema market, Knobloch is no stranger to the investment business world, as administrator for the Lazard bank and vice president of the administrative council of Accor Hotels group.
In July 2021, she co-founded I2PO, the first European SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) dedicated to the entertainment and leisure industry.
Among the shareholders of this project is businessman Matthieu Pigasse (also a shareholder of Le Monde group), and Artemis, a holding of the Kering group run by the Pinault family, who are longtime partners of the Cannes Festival.
To avoid any conflict of interest, I2PO is not allowed to invest in the cinema industry for the duration of Knobloch's time as president of the festival.
Lack of concertation
It is for this reason some people within the industry have voice concerns, and why the decision of the board was far from unanimous (18 votes for, 6 against, 3 abstentions and 1 blank vote).
Knobloch was put forward as a candidate by Dominique Boutonnat, head of the state-run National Centre for Cinema and Animated Images. He reports directly to French Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot.
On 22 March, a day before voting, several industry organisations wrote to Lescure to say they had not been adequately consulted prior to the nominations.
They felt the vote would compromise the artistic integrity of the festival, reducing it to a bunch of figures rather than protecting culture.
"It's the first time that a presidency has been badly voted, and that the French state, which has a strong presence at the festival, has imposed its candidate without concertation of any kind, thus ably avoiding any hostile reaction from the film industry," wrote the Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers (SACD).
Future challenges
Another point of tension revolves around whether films distributed by platforms such as Netflix should be allowed to run in competition. Unlike at the Venice Film Festival, which permits this, all films in competition at Cannes must be distributed in French cinemas.
The Film Française news magazine reported that Cannes organisers put forward a proposal on 18 March – just days before Knobloch's election – to allow Netflix films, a move swiftly opposed by industry professionals, who also complained in a letter to Lescure.
As he welcomed on board his new president, general delegate Thierry Frémaux acknowledged the road ahead would probably not be easy.
"We have many challenges coming our way and we will do our utmost to make sure cinema, and the festival that embodies it, occupies the position it deserves while strongly affirming their artistic and political necessity," Frémaux said.
Meanwhile, the jury and the official film selection are to be unveiled on 14 April at a press conference, while the event itself will take place from 17-28 May.
So far only the blockbuster Top Gun Maverick, starring Tom Cruise, has been confirmed for official screenings.
