2018 Cannes: ‘Nocturama’ director Bertrand Bonello to chair the Cinéfondation and short films jury

French filmmaker Bertrand Bonello (Tiresia, L’Apollonide, Saint Laurent) will succeed Christian Mungiu to chair the Cinéfondation and short films Jury of the 71st edition of the Festival de Cannes.

From his very first film (Something Organic, 1998) to Nocturama (2016), Bertrand Bonello has occupied a unique place in the cinematographic landscape. His filmography includes seven feature films and eight short films, all of them highly distinctive. Since 2003, his films have been screened in Competition at the Festival de Cannes: Tiresia (2003), House of Tolerance (2011) and Saint Laurent (2014), which was France’s Oscar submission this year.

“This year will be presided over by one of the greatest contemporary directors, an iconoclastic and unique artist,” said Gilles Jacob. “And besides his art, his genuine humanity continues to shine to this day.”

Trained as a classical musician, Bonello writes the scripts and composes the music for all of his films. “What do we expect from young people, unknown filmmakers and early films? Let them shake us up, let them make us look at what we’re unable to see, let them enjoy the freedom, the sharpness, the recklessness and the daring that we sometimes no longer possess. The Cinéfondation has been working for 20 years to make these voices heard and I’m extremely proud this year to be able to accompany them,” he said.

The 71st Cannes Film Festival runs May 8-19th.