Director Pedro Almodovar picked as Cannes jury president

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar has been picked as the next president of the jury for the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.

A long-time festival favorite, Almodovar succeeds ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ director George Miller as the jury president of the next festival to begin in the French city of Cannes on May 17.

“I am very happy to be able to celebrate Cannes Film Festival 70th anniversary from such a privileged position. I am grateful, honored and a bit overwhelmed. I am aware of the responsibility that entails being the president of the jury and I hope to be up to the job. I can only tell that I’ll devote myself, body and soul, to this task, that it is both a privilege and a pleasure,” Almodovar said.

President of the festival, Pierre Lescure, and delegate-general, Thierry Frémaux, expressed delight in welcoming Almodovar, describing him as a “unique and hugely popular aritst.”

Almodovar has had a close relationship with the festival over the years, with his films running for the coveted Palme d'Or five times.

His five films ‘All About my Mother’, ‘Volver’, ‘Broken Embraces’, ‘The Skin I Live In’, and ‘Julieta’ have been selected in the festival’s competition section.

In 2004, ‘Bad Education’ opened the festival and Almodovar himself was featured on the poster for the 60th edition of Cannes.

The Official Selection and the other members of the jury will be announced later in mid-April.

AI/AI