Payal Kapadia Returns to Cannes Film Festival; Becomes Jury Member Alongside Halle Berry and Jeremy Strong

Filmmaker Payal Kapadia will be a part of the prestigious Cannes 2025 jury, a year after she won the Grand Prix at the festival for her globally acclaimed debut feature All We Imagine As Light.

Kapadia will be at the 78th Cannes Film Festival next month and join other jury members, including American stars Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong, Italian actor Alba Rohrwacher, Korean filmmaker Hong Sangsoo, Congolese director Diedo Hamadi, Mexican filmmaker Carlos Reygadas, and French-Moroccan writer Leïla Slimani.

The jury, chaired by French actor Juliette Binoche, will award Palme d’or—the top prize—to one of the 21 films in competition.

Last year, Sean Baker’s Anora took home the award, which was presented by filmmaker Greta Gerwig's jury. The winners will be announced on May 24 at the closing ceremony of the gala.

In 2024, Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light became the first film from India to be part of the Cannes Competition section after a 30-year gap.

Among the titles competing for top honours are new films by acclaimed auteurs like Wes Anderson (The Phoenician Scheme), Richard Linklater (Nouvelle Vague), Ari Aster (Eddington), Julia Ducournau (Alpha), and Kelly Reichardt (The Mastermind).

India's Homebound, backed by Dharma Productions and directed by National Award-winning Neeraj Ghaywan, has also been officially selected at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category. The film stars Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa. The Cannes Film Festival runs May 13-24.