Rodrigo Sorogoyen shooting The Beasts

Source: Latido Films

Rodrigo Sorogoyen

Cannes’ Critics Week has rounded out the jury for its 63rd edition running running May 15-23.

The previously announced Spanish writer-director-producer Rodrigo Sorogoyen will preside over the festival’s parallel selection dedicated to first and second features alongside Rwandan actress Eliane Umuhire, French producer Sylvie Pialat, Belgian director of photography Virginie Surdej, and Canadian journalist and film critic Ben Croll.

Sorogoyen is known for psychological thriller The Beasts which premiered in the Cannes Premiere strand in 2022 and won nine Goya awards, plus 2019 drama Mother, 2018 Spanish-French thriller The Realm, 2016 crime thriller May God Save Us, 2013 romantic drama Stockholm, and 2008’s 8 Dates co-directed with Peris Romano.

Organisers called Sorogoyen “a committed filmmaker” who “takes an uncompromising look at society, questioning human nature and winning the challenge of bringing critics and audiences together around his work.” 

Umuhire starred in Baloji’s Omen that premiered in the festival’s Un Certain Regard section last year and will next be seen in André Téchiné’s My New Friends. Pialat’s producer credits include Abderrahmane Sissako ‘s Timbuktu and Corneliu Porumboiu’s The Whistlers. Surdej is known for Maryam Touzani’s The Blue Caftan and Nabil Ayouch’s Haut et Fort. 

Jury prizes include a grand prize for best feature film, the French Touch jury prize, the Louis Roederer foundation award for best actor and the Leitz Cine discovery award for best short film.

Amanda Nell Eu’s art horror Tiger Stripes won the grand prize at last year’s edition of Critics’ Week.

The Cannes official selection will be unveiled Thursday (April 11), with the sidebar line-ups revealed in the following days.