Cannes, France — Acclaimed Italian filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher has been appointed President of the Caméra d’or Jury for the 78th Festival de Cannes, taking place this May. The Caméra d’or, one of the festival’s most prestigious awards, honors the best first feature film presented in the Official Selection, Critics’ Week, or Directors’ Fortnight.
Rohrwacher, known for her poetic and dreamlike storytelling, follows last year’s co-presidency of Emmanuelle Béart and Baloji. She will present the coveted prize at the Closing Ceremony on Saturday, May 24.
Reflecting on the significance of first-time filmmaking, Rohrwacher remarked, “First times are always important and they stay with us for the rest of our lives… 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?”
Rohrwacher’s own journey at Cannes began in 2011 with her debut Heavenly Body (Corpo Celeste), presented at the Directors’ Fortnight. Since then, her work has become a mainstay at the festival: The Wonders (Le Meraviglie) won the Grand Prix in 2014, Happy as Lazzaro (Lazzaro Felice) tied for Best Screenplay in 2018, and La Chimera competed in 2023.
Her filmography spans both fiction and documentary, merging rural poetry with magical realism. Beyond her features, she has made a name with her evocative short films and collaborative documentaries, most recently co-directing An Urban Allegory (Allégorie citadine) with artist JR, inspired by Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.
The 2024 Caméra d’or will be awarded to a new voice in cinema, following in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, whose debut Armand premiered in the Un Certain Regard section.
Rohrwacher’s appointment signals the festival’s ongoing commitment to celebrating cinematic beginnings — and the artists who capture them with soul and originality.