Payal Kapadia To Head Cannes Critics’ Week Jury After Grand Prix Win At 2024 Festival

Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia, whose work has brought fresh international attention to independent Indian cinema, has been named the Jury President of the 65th Cannes Critics’ Week, a parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival dedicated to discovering emerging filmmakers.

Kapadia, best known for her critically acclaimed film All We Imagine As Light, will lead an international jury panel that includes Quebecois actor Théodore Pellerin, singer-songwriter Oklou, Ghanaian-British producer Ama Ampadu, and Bangkok World Film Festival director Donsaron Kovitvanitcha. The Critics’ Week (Semaine de la Critique), organised by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics, will be held from May 13 to 21.

Kapadia made global history in 2024 when she became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival for All We Imagine As Light . The film, set in Mumbai, explores the lives of two working women navigating loneliness, relationships and urban uncertainty. It is a multilingual production featuring Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali and English, reflecting the layered linguistic fabric of the city.

Before her feature success, Kapadia gained recognition through her documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing (2021), which won the award for Best Documentary at Cannes and was screened at Directors’ Fortnight. Her earlier short films, including Afternoon Clouds and And What is the Summer Saying , were also showcased at prestigious international platforms such as Cinéfondation and Berlinale.

A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, Kapadia is widely regarded as part of a new wave of Indian filmmakers whose work blends documentary realism with fictional storytelling. Her cinema is noted for its quiet observational style, minimalism, and focus on women’s experiences and everyday social realities.

In a statement, Kapadia emphasised the importance of supporting debut filmmakers, calling first films “freer, more daring and fearless” and describing film criticism and platforms like Critics’ Week as essential to sustaining independent cinema globally.

As Jury President, Kapadia will present key awards including the Grand Prize for Best Feature Film, the Rising Star Award, and the Best Short Film Prize at Critics’ Week.

Her appointment marks another milestone in her rapidly rising global profile, reinforcing her position as one of the most significant voices in contemporary world cinema.