American actor John C. Reilly, who has starred in films by Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson and Jacques Audiard, will chair the international jury of Un Certain Regard.Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival that runs in parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.
The 57-year-old actor takes over from Italian director and actress Valeria Golino in heading up the five-member jury.
"I experienced so many unforgettable moments at the Cannes Film Festival, from my unexpected first visit with Paul Thomas Anderson to my 50th birthday, celebrated on the stage at the Palais! It is therefore an incredible honor for me to be chosen as president of the Un Certain Regard jury," Reilly said in a press statement.
Reilly has been an actor in theater, film and television for over 35 years. He made his film debut in "Casualties of War" (1989) by Brian De Palma.
From there he worked with some of America's leading directors including Paul Thomas Anderson for "Magnolia" (1999), Martin Scorsese in "Gangs of New York" (2002) and Robert Altman's "A Prairie Home Companion" (2006) to mention a few.
He has a strong connection with the Cannes Film Festival, notably appearing in "Stars at Noon" by French director Claire Denis, which won the shared Grand Prix in the 2022 competition.
He was part of the cast from the film "The Lobster" by Yórgos Lánthimos, winner of the Jury Prize in 2015.
Young and dynamic
Reilly will be accompanied by French director Alice Winocour whose "Revoir Paris" was presented last year at the Directors' Fortnight (Quinzaine des cinéastes), German actress Paula Beer ("Frantz" by François Ozon) and Belgium's Emilie Dequenne, who won Best Actress for her role in "Rosetta" in 1999, which also took the top Palme d'Or prize.
Franco-Cambodian director Davy Chou whose "Return to Seoul" was presented in the Un Certain regard section in 2022 is also part of the eclectic group.
The 2023 Un Certain Regard selection includes twenty films, eight of them debut feature films.
The competition showcases art and discovery films by young auteurs, often an important springboard for their international careers.
The line-up promises to be a truly international experience with films hailing from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Mongolia, Australia, China and Iran.
Last year, French directors Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret won the Un Certain Regard Prize for their film "Les Pires" (The Worst Ones).
"I look forward to helping launch another generation of filmmakers on this special occasion as the Festival has done since its inception. I am humbled and thrilled," Reilly said.
Caméra d'Or
Meanwhile, French actress Anaïs Demoustier has been chosen to preside over the six-member jury for the Caméra d'Or, awarded to a first feature film in competition.
Past winners of the prize include Jim Jarmusch, Jafar Panahi, and Ildikó Enyedi.
In 2022, the Caméra d’Or was awarded by the jury presided by Rossy de Palma to American directors Riley Keough and Gina Gammel for their "War Pony", to be released in France shortly.
The 76th edition of the Festival (16-27 May) has yet to announce the composition of its jury, chaired by Swedish director Ruben Östlund, who won his second Palme d'Or last year with his film "Triangle of Sadness".
