Spike Lee, filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, editor and producer, was announced as president of the jury of the next Cannes Film Festival, which will take place from May 12 to 23. It replaces the Latin American filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, who became the first president of the largest film festival in the world. See video below.
The American filmmaker has made numerous films that, due to their theme and importance, have become cultured, as is the case of Girl 6 (1996), Malcolm X (1992) or Jungle Fever (1991). He has brought the controversial questions and themes of the time to contemporary cinema.
In 2018, after 22 years of absence, Spike Lee returned to the Festival Competition with the KKKlan Infiltrated tape, with which he showed that his talent had not diminished. This last film earned him the Jury Prize, in addition to his first Oscar Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
“Spike Lee’s perspective is more valuable than ever. Cannes is a natural homeland and a global sounding board for those who awaken minds and question our stances and fixed ideas. Lee’s extravagant personality will surely shake things up, ” said the Cannes Festival Board of Directors, composed of President Pierre Lescure and General Delegate Thierry Frémaux.
Spike Lee will be the successor of Alejandro González Iñárritu, who last year chaired the jury in Cannes, and awarded the Golden Palm to Parasite de Bong Joon-ho, which was part of the special programming of the 17th International Film Festival of Morelia (FICM) and is still a success at worldwide ticket offices.
Previously this chairmanship was occupied by leends like Pedro Almodovar, Sophía Loren and Robert de Niro.
“For me, the Cannes Film Festival, in addition to being the most important in the world, has had a great impact on my film career. I could easily say that Cannes changed the trajectory of who became the world cinema,” said Lee.
