Kristen Stewart is set to preside over the competition jury of the fourth edition of the Biarritz Nouvelles Vagues Festival which showcases films about youth in Southwestern France.
Stewart, who made her directorial debut last year with “The Chronology of Water,” will head a jury comprising of eight international talent. She previously headed the Berlinale jury in 2023 and was part of Cannes’ jury in 2018.
Supporting by French luxury house Chanel and founded by fashion veteran Jérôme Pulis, the festival said in a release that it’s meant to spotlight “youth as a state of the world: a moment of effervescence, transformation and creation, where we build, question and invent in dialogue with the issues of our time.”
“Kristen Stewart fully embodies this spirit. Through her independence, her appetite for risk and her artistic freedom, Kristen Stewart naturally reflects the spirit that drives the Biarritz Film Festival,” added the statement.
Earlier this year, the festival welcomed Gregory Caulier, the general delegate of the Cesar Awards, as head of film. Caulier is working with a selection committee to collectively curate the lineup which will be announced in late May.
While in Biarritz, Stewart will also present “The Chronology of Water” and take part in a masterclass. The film, produced by Charles Gillibert’s Paris-based CG Cinema, premiered at Un Certain Regard in Cannes and went on to play at a flurry of international festivals.
Stewart became the first American actress to be awarded a Cesar Award in the best supporting actress category for her role in Olivier Assayas’ “Clouds of Sils Maria” in 2015; and earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Princess Diana in “Spencer” directed by Pablo Larrain in 2022.
Last year’s high-profile guests at the Biarritz festival included Sofia Coppola who presented “The Virgin Suicides” and delivered a wide-ranging masterclass, and Richard Linklater whose film “Nouvelle Vague” played on opening night.
Source: variety.com
