Cannes Critics Week Sets Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Spanish Director, as Jury President

The Critics Week section of the Cannes film festival has set Spanish director Rodrigo Sorogoyen as the president of the jury for its 63rd edition.

Sorogoyen is known for films including “Stockholm” in 2013, “The Candidate” in 2018, and “The Beasts” from 2022. The Beasts last year earned him the best foreign film prize at France’s Cesars awards. Sorogoyen also wrote and executive produced TV series “Antidisturbios.”

“It is a big responsibility, one that I look forward to very much,” said Sorogoyen in a Spanish-language video message posted to social media. “The Critics Week supports and rewards directors’ first and second feature films as well as short films, thus providing vital support to cinema, new voices and new ways to tell stories. Without these new voices there would be no new cinema. They’re the ones who make it live and make it work.”

The Cannes festival’s official sections are scheduled to announce the main elements of their selections on April 11. The Critics Week and another parallel section, the Directors’ Fortnight, usually reveal their selections within a few days.

Sorogoyen has collected multiple Goya awards in his native Spain. These include best director and best original screenplay for “The Realm” and for “The Beasts.” He was Goya-nominated in the best new director category for “Stockholm” and nominated for best director and best screenplay with “May God Save Us.”

He won a Goya Award for best short film with “Mother” and was Oscar-nominated in the best live action short film category with the same 2018 work.