Actress, director and screenwriter Nicole Garcia is to preside over the Jury for this year’s Caméra d’or award for the best debut film at Cannes. In this opportunity to champion an up-and-coming director she joins the ranks of previous Jury Presidents Bong Joon-Ho, Gael García Bernal, Carlos Diegues and Agnès Varda, who have all in the past contributed their experience and passion for cinema to the deliberations.
“Presiding over the Caméra d’or is an honour, a joy and a mission,” announced Nicole Garcia. “I hope to be worthy of the honour, bask in the joy and do my best to deliver on the mission.”
Since 1978, the Caméra d’or has awarded the best debut film presented in the Official Selection (Competition, Out of Competition, or Un Certain Regard), Critics’ Week or Directors’ Fortnight. The award showcases young filmmakers, whose work is propelled into the limelight with unrivalled international exposure. Among the past recipients of the award are Jim Jarmusch, Mira Nair, Jaco Van Dormael, Naomi Kawase, Bahman Ghobadi and Steve McQueen. Last year’s award was scooped up by Anthony Chen’s Singaporean film Ilo Ilo which was presented as part of Directors’ Fortnight.
The Caméra d’Or 2014 will be presented by the Jury President at the Closing Ceremony on Saturday May 24.
Nicole Garcia studied philosophy and acting, winning her first acting award at the Conservatoire before embarking on a career in theatre. But she was drawn to film. She made a name for herself in Bertrand Tavernier’s Let Joy Reign Supreme in 1975 and subsequently worked with directors Henri Verneuil (Body of My Enemy, 1976) and Laurent Heynemann (The Question, 1977). In 1979, her performance in Philippe de Broca’s Practice Makes Perfect earned her popular acclaim and a César award for best supporting actress. She went on to work with the great names of French cinema including Alain Resnais (My American Uncle, 1980), Bertrand Blier (Stepfather, 1981), Claude Lelouch (Bolero: Dance of Life, 1981), Pierre Schoendoerffer (A Captain’s Honor, 1982), Claude Sautet (Waiter!, 1983) and Claude Miller (Little Lili, 2003).
In 1990, her behind-the-camera debut Every Other Weekend was released to critical acclaim, followed by the similarly well-received The Favorite Son in 1994. She has directed seven films, of which the latest, Going Away, was released in early 2014.
She has presented a total of seven films at Cannes as both actress and director.