Cannes’ Critics Week partnering with Sony to revamp its jury

PanARMENIAN.Net - Cannes’ Critics Week is partnering with Sony to revamp its jury, whose role is to identify talented first- and second-time directors, according to Variety.

As part of its partnership with Sony, Critics’ Week, which is spearheaded by artistic director Charles Tesson and runs alongside the Cannes Film Festival, will welcome onto its jury for the first time a critically acclaimed cinematographer: Peter Suschitzky, who has worked on such films including “Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back,” “Valentino,” “Eastern Promises” and “Maps to the Stars” over a career that spans 40 years. Suschitzky recently shot “After Earth” in 4K with the Sony F65 camera.

Presided over by Israeli filmmaker Ronit Elkabetz, whose latest film, “Gett, The Trial of Viviane Amsalem,” earned a Golden Globe nomination, the jury will hand out three prizes, including the Sony CineAlta Discovery prize for best short film.

Suschitzky told Variety that he will be looking for “powerful stories, original narrative styles, characters and ideas.”

As a cinematographer, Suschitzky said he’s also drawn to films that have a “strong sense of style.”

Suschitzky will sit on the jury along with French director Katell Quillévéré (“Suzanne”), Toronto film fest programmer Andréa Picard and film critic Boyd van Hoeij.

“We’re very happy to become a part of Cannes Film Festival through this partnership with Critics’ Week. We wish to promote the artistic vision of young creators from the early stages of their career by giving them access to the best innovations,” said Ainara Porron at Sony CineAlta Europe.

On May 21, the last day of Critics’ Week, Sony will also host an online seminar from Cannes during which Suschitzky will talk about movies and share his experiences on the jury.

Suschitzky has just wrapped Matteo Garrone’s “The Tale of Tales,” which is reportedly expected to premiere in Cannes, and his book “Naked Reflections” is set for publication later this month.