French actress Leïla Bekhti has been named President of the Un Certain Regard Jury at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, taking on a key role at the 79th edition of the prestigious event.
Bekhti succeeds British filmmaker Molly Manning Walker, who presided over the jury last year. She will lead a diverse panel of international film figures, including Senegalese producer Angèle Diabang, Lebanese composer Khaled Mouzanar, Italian director Laura Samani, and French filmmaker Thomas Cailley.
Together, the jury will determine the winners in the Un Certain Regard section — a category known for spotlighting bold, auteur-driven cinema and emerging voices from around the world.
In a statement, Bekhti described her appointment as both an honour and a responsibility, highlighting the importance of dialogue and shared perspectives in the cinematic experience.
“For my first time as Jury President, I will find myself in the unique position of watching, listening, sharing, and celebrating… I look forward to the exchanged perspectives, the dialogues, and the doubts as well, which make up the richness of this living art,” she said.
Bekhti is no stranger to Cannes. She first rose to prominence in A Prophet by Jacques Audiard, which won the Grand Prix at the festival. She later earned the César Award for Most Promising Actress for All That Glitters, and has built a versatile career spanning drama, comedy, and thriller genres.
Her filmography includes appearances in Paris, je t’aime, The Source, Sink or Swim, and The Restless. She also starred in All Your Faces and is set to appear in Once Upon My Mother, with another upcoming role in Changer l’eau des fleurs.
The Un Certain Regard section continues to be a launchpad for emerging filmmakers. At last year’s festival, Chilean director Diego Céspedes took home the top prize for his debut feature The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo.
With Bekhti at the helm and a globally representative jury in place, this year’s Un Certain Regard selection is expected to once again shine a spotlight on daring storytelling and new cinematic voices.
