He has won the Palme d’Or twice himself, now he is mainly responsible for its award in 2023: Swedish director Ruben Östlund (48) will be President of the Jury at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, as the organizers have announced. The festival is scheduled to take place on the Côte d’Azur from May 16th to 27th, 2023.
“I am delighted, proud and honored to have the honor of leading the jury of this year’s competition at the Festival de Cannes,” Östlund said in a statement. “Nowhere else in the film world is the anticipation as great as with the films in competition at the festival”.
“It’s a privilege to be there alongside the knowledgeable Cannes audience,” continued the filmmaker. “I’m serious when I say that cinema culture is in its most important phase of all,” he said, referring to the competition from streaming services.
With their selection of Östlund, the organizers of the film festival want to honor films “that are uncompromising and blunt and constantly challenge viewers to question themselves and to further invent the art”.
Ruben Östlund is a regular guest and multiple winner in Cannes with his films. Only last year did he win the Palme d’Or with his satire “Triangle of Sadness”. As a result, the film has been a great success since it was released in Germany in October 2022 and has been nominated in the “Best Film” category at this year’s Oscars. Östlund already won the main prize in Cannes in 2017 for the predecessor “The Square”. In 2014, he received the Jury Prize in the subcategory Un Certain Regard for his international breakthrough film Force Majeure.
Östlund is now the third double winner of the Golden Palm to preside over the jury. Previously only Francis Ford Coppola (83) and Emir Kusturica (68) were able to do this. Coppola won for “The Dialogue” and “Apocalypse Now”, Kustorica for “Papa is on a Business Trip” and “Underground”.
Östlund is also the first person from Sweden to chair the award committee since Ingrid Bergman (1912-1982). The actress held this position 50 years ago. It is not yet known who will sit next to him on the jury.
