The 2018 edition of the Cannes film festival features renowned auteurs and a global outlook, yet it is still short on female directors.
Only three out of 18 films competing for the Palme d'Or have female directors, however women's presence escalates in the other sections of the world's most prestigious film festival.
After many comments and studies on the insufficient attention paid to women in creative roles, we had hoped that things would change this year. Unfortunately though, only three female directors made the grade. A scanty 17% of the films announced (3 out of 18 in the Official Competition) are directed by women, the same proportion as last year.
However, this time around, the festival is making room for a relative newcomer, Eva Husson who is the only female director making her debut at the festival this year. She received accolades on her debut Bang Gang. She will premiere GIRLS OF THE SUN in the festival's main competition.
The Lebanese Nadine Labaki is a Cannes regular, a graduate of the festival's Residence program, and her debut Caramel opened in Directors' Fortnight in 2007. Her second film, Where Do We Go Now? was screened in Un Certain Regard in 2011. CAPERNAUM will mark her first time in the Palme d'or competition.
The Italian Alice Rohrwacher will premiere Lazzaro Felice in Cannes again, after her 2011 debut Corpo Celeste on the Director's Fortnight line-up and her Grand Prix-winning followup The WONDERS.
Un Certain Regard line-up
Meryem Benm'Barek. The French-Moroccan director will premiere her debut film SOFIA
French Andréa Bescond is the co director of LITTLE TICKLES
Kenyan Wanuri Kahiu will present the international co-production RAFIKI (Friend)
Vanessa Filho will present the French production GUELE D'ANGE (Angel Face)
Italian Valeria Golino, a regular in Cannes, will present her third feature film, EUPHORIA
The Syrian diector Gaya Jiji will bring her Belle de Jour-inspired film, MY FAVORITE FABRIC
Nandita Das, one of the leading figures in the Indian film industry and former Jury in Cannes will present her third film as a director, MANTO
Directors' Fortnight will screen the following women-directed films:
PÁJAROS DE VERANO (Birds Of Passage), directed by Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra.
The debut film by Spanish Arantxa Echevarria, CARMEN Y LOLA.
JOUERS, another debut film by French director Marie Monge
LEAVE NO TRACE, the much-anticipated Debra Granik's film after Winter's Bone
Critic's Week, the more balanced line up.
Swiss Anja Kofmel will present CHRIS THE SWISS.
Hungarian Zsófia Szilágyi makes her debut with EGY NAP (On body. One Day)
Polish Agnieszka Smoczyńska's new film, FUGUE
Indian Rohena Gera will bring her debut SIR to la Croisette