Payal Kapadia Leads Cannes Critics' Week After Historic Win

Just two years after becoming the first Indian filmmaker in three decades to compete at Cannes, Payal Kapadia is heading back to the French Riviera with a new role: deciding which emerging voices deserve the spotlight.

Kapadia will lead the jury for the 65th Cannes Critics' Week, a prestigious sidebar of the main festival that runs May 13-21. The section focuses exclusively on first and second films from directors around the world.

She'll be joined by an international panel including Quebecois actor Théodore Pellerin, singer-songwriter Oklou, Ghanaian-British producer Ama Ampadu, and Bangkok World Film Festival director Donsaron Kovitvanitcha. Together, they'll evaluate debut films competing for recognition at one of cinema's biggest stages.

Kapadia knows firsthand how transformative festival support can be. Her directorial debut "All We Imagine As Light" won the Grand Prix at Cannes 2024, making her the first Indian filmmaker to win a major prize there in over 30 years.

The film follows two nurses in Mumbai navigating friendship, loneliness, and unexpected opportunities. It resonated globally, collecting awards at international festivals and bringing Indian independent cinema back into the global conversation.

Why This Inspires

Kapadia sees her new role as more than just judging films. "At a time where independent cinema is being eroded in every country, supporting the first works of filmmakers is almost a resistance to the market forces," she said in a statement.

She believes film criticism and festival support form the backbone of independent filmmaking. "First films are often freer, more daring and fearless, having an individual voice," she explained.

Critics' Week, organized by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics since 1962, has launched careers of filmmakers like Wong Kar-wai, Jacques Audiard, and Guillermo del Toro. Now Kapadia gets to help identify the next generation.

Her journey from first-time director to jury president in just two years shows how quickly recognition can open doors. In 2025, she even served on the main Cannes competition jury, which selects the festival's top prize winner.

From making history to helping others make their mark, Kapadia is using her platform to lift up the kind of bold, independent voices that gave her a start.