Labaki rising. Last year she won the Jury Prize at Cannes, and went on to get nominations at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes for “Capharnaum.” This year, Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki will be taking over from actor Benicio Del Toro (he held the job in 2018) as President of the Un Certain Regard Jury, for the 72nd edition of the festival.

Labaki’s three feature films have gained traction internationally, which help position her as a filmmaker to be reckoned with. The love affair with Cannes isn’t anything new. The filmmaker, actress and screenwriter’s career was launched on the Croisette, and she’s dutifully had all her films premiere there.

“I remember back when I used to come to Cannes as a film student, I was so excited to experience the world’s most prestigious festival,” she stated. “Back then, it seemed so out of reach to me. I remember getting up early in the morning and the endless queues to get a ticket. It seems like yesterday, but it was fifteen years ago that I filled in the Festival de Cannes’ Cinéfondation registration form, my heart full of hope and my hand shaking.”

Today, I am the President of the Un Certain Regard Jury, which just goes to show that sometimes life can be even better than your dreams. I can’t wait to see the films in the Selection. I can’t wait to debate and discuss, to be shaken up, to find inspiration in other artists’ work.”

The Cannes Festival takes place from the 14th to the 25th of May. I will be on hand to bring you all the film premieres.