The Cannes Film Festival announced Thursday that Greta Gerwig, director of the summer blockbuster "Barbie," will preside over the jury at its 77th edition in May. Gerwig, 40, who is also an actress and screenwriter, takes over from Sweden's Ruben Ostlund, whose jury awarded the 2023 Palme d'Or to courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall.
She is the first American female director to take on the role, the festival said in a statement. Gerwig's presence will give a youthful edge to the festival, which hasn't had such a young July chair since 1966, when the then 31-year-old Sophia Loren was in charge. She is also the first woman since actress Cate Blanchett in 2018 to head the prestigious position, usually dominated by men. /BGNES
