Alice Rohrwacher Named President of the Caméra d’Or Jury at Cannes 2025

Italian director and screenwriter Alice Rohrwacher has been named President of the Caméra d’Or Jury at the 78th Festival de Cannes, taking place from May 13 to 24, 2025. The award honors the best debut feature from the Official Selection, Critics’ Week, or Directors’ Fortnight.

Rohrwacher will present the prize at the Closing Ceremony on Saturday, May 24. She follows last year’s jury, led by Emmanuelle Béart and Baloji, who honored Armand by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel.

Rohrwacher’s Vision: The Glow of First Times

Reflecting on her new role, Rohrwacher shared a poetic view of the Caméra d’Or: “First times are always important and they stay with us for the rest of our lives. Like entering an unfamiliar room, approaching one’s beloved for a first kiss, or landing on a foreign shore. There’s something golden that haloes these moments in our memory. Is that why the most prestigious award for first films is called Caméra d’Or?”

Her words reflect her deep sensitivity to cinema’s most fragile and magical beginnings. This makes her an ideal choice to champion new filmmakers.

A Cannes Journey Rooted in Discovery

Rohrwacher’s career is closely tied to the Cannes Film Festival. Her debut feature, Heavenly Body (Corpo Celeste), screened at Directors’ Fortnight in 2011. It explored a young girl’s coming of age with honesty and grace.

Her second film, The Wonders (Le meraviglie), won the Grand Prix in 2014. It followed a group of sisters on a remote farm, whose lives are disrupted by the arrival of a reality show crew.

In 2018, Happy as Lazzaro (Lazzaro felice) earned the Best Screenplay Award (ex aequo). It told the story of a gentle man caught between rural poverty and the harsh realities of the modern city.

Her latest feature, La Chimera (2023), closed an informal trilogy. It examined antiquities trafficking and the legacy of the past. The film screened in Competition at Cannes, like its predecessors.

A Signature Style: Naturalism Meets Magical Realism

Rohrwacher blends neorealism and fantasy in a way that feels distinctly her own. Her stories explore youth, memory, and transformation. They often take place in rural settings but reach toward something universal.

Her work balances storytelling and poetry. It often feels dreamlike yet grounded in real emotion.

A Versatile Artist in Film and Beyond

Rohrwacher’s creativity isn’t limited to features. She has directed acclaimed short films and documentaries. These include Checosamanca (2006), Futura (2021), and The Pupils (Le Pupille), which premiered at Cannes in 2022 and earned an Oscar nomination.

In 2024, she co-directed An Urban Allegory (Allégorie cittadine) with JR. The project explores Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, a recurring theme in her work.

From opera shorts to lockdown diaries, Rohrwacher constantly reinvents her artistic approach.

A President Who Understands the Power of Beginnings

As Caméra d’Or Jury President, Rohrwacher will spotlight the most promising first-time filmmakers of the year. Her role is not only symbolic, but essential to Cannes’ ongoing mission to support bold new voices.

Her selection is a natural fit. Rohrwacher’s own films are full of “firsts”—of discoveries, of awakenings, of quiet revolutions.

The 78th Festival de Cannes runs from May 13 to 24, 2025. The Caméra d’Or will be awarded on Saturday, May 24.