The stars have aligned perfectly at Cannes, darlings. In a delicious twist that’s got the film world buzzing, Alice Rohrwacher – that luminous Italian visionary – has just claimed her throne as president of the 2025 Camera d’Or jury.
Talk about perfect casting. Rohrwacher, whose ethereal touch has graced the Croisette more times than some starlets have graced the covers of Vogue, brings something utterly magical to this role. The Camera d’Or, that coveted golden ticket for first-time filmmakers, couldn’t have found a more fitting guardian angel.
“First times are always important, and they stay with us for the rest of our lives,” Rohrwacher mused recently at Café Roma. “Like entering an unfamiliar room, approaching one’s beloved for a first kiss, or landing on a foreign shore.” Honey, if that doesn’t capture the essence of debut filmmaking, what does?
Let’s talk receipts – because darling, this woman’s got them in spades. From her Directors’ Fortnight debut with “Heavenly Body” back in 2011 (remember those pre-pandemic glory days?) to snatching the Grand Prix for “The Wonders” in 2014, Rohrwacher’s been collecting accolades like some collect designer handbags. Then came the Best Screenplay win for “Happy as Lazzaro” in 2018, and last year’s triumph with “La Chimera” – each film more intoxicating than the last.
She’s stepping into some rather fabulous shoes, following last year’s dynamic duo of Emmanuelle Béart and Baloji. But if anyone can handle the pressure of selecting the finest first feature across the Official Selection, Critics’ Week, and Directors’ Fortnight, it’s our girl Alice.
Speaking of fresh faces (and oh, aren’t they always so deliciously full of promise?), this year’s lineup is particularly spicy. Keep those designer shades handy for Eva Victor’s “Sorry, Baby” in Directors’ Fortnight – word from the pre-screenings suggests it’s absolutely scorching. And Shih-Ching Tsou’s “Left-Handed Girl” in Critics’ Week? Well, let’s just say it’s already got the festival’s old guard clutching their pearls.
The real cherry on top? Rohrwacher isn’t just any jury president – she’s got that rare perspective of someone who’s sat on both sides of the velvet rope. Remember 2019, when she helped crown “Parasite” with the Palme d’Or? That little film went on to make Oscar history. Talk about having an eye for diamonds in the rough.
With the 78th Festival de Cannes (May 13-24, 2025) approaching faster than a Hollywood divorce, the pieces are falling into place like a perfectly orchestrated red carpet arrival. Between Juliette Binoche heading the competition jury and Rohrwacher leading the Camera d’Or panel, Cannes is serving up the kind of female powerhouse energy that makes award season actually worth watching.
In the end, sweethearts, Rohrwacher’s appointment feels like pure cinema magic – the kind that transforms first-timers into legends, newcomers into kingmakers (or should we say, queenmakers?). Now that’s what you call coming full circle in the most glamorous way possible.
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