Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia has added another milestone to her growing international journey after being named the jury president for the 65th edition of Critics’ Week (Semaine de la Critique) at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The announcement places her among a select group of Indian cinema personalities who have held influential jury positions at Cannes over the years.
Critics’ Week is one of Cannes’ most respected parallel sections and is known for spotlighting first and second feature films by emerging filmmakers from around the world. This year’s section received more than 1,000 submissions, with only a small number selected for competition and special screenings.
Kapadia’s appointment comes after the international success of her acclaimed film All We Imagine as Light, which earned the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2024 and brought renewed global attention to independent Indian cinema. Her filmmaking style, often blending documentary realism with emotional intimacy, has been praised for presenting contemporary urban India through deeply human stories.
The jury she leads includes filmmakers, actors, musicians, and critics from different countries, reflecting the section’s global and interdisciplinary outlook. Critics’ Week has long been considered a launchpad for emerging cinematic voices, and Kapadia’s presence as jury president signals increasing international recognition for Indian auteurs working outside mainstream commercial cinema.
Film critic Meenakshi Shedde, who has previously served on Cannes juries herself, highlighted the significance of the appointment as a moment of pride for Indian cinema’s independent storytelling tradition. Over the decades, only a handful of Indians — including figures like Mira Nair, Sharmila Tagore, and Deepika Padukone — have held jury positions at the prestigious festival.
Kapadia’s rise also reflects a broader shift in how global audiences are engaging with Indian cinema. Rather than focusing solely on large-scale commercial productions, international festivals are increasingly recognising intimate, regionally rooted stories that experiment with form, politics, memory, and everyday life.
