PARIS — Elle Fanning is set to light up the Croisette, stepping into the role of juror for the L’Oréal Paris Lights on Women’s Worth prize.
“I am honored to preside as juror of the Lights on Women’s Worth Award and to play part in continuing this important initiative,” Fanning said.
Fanning will take over the spot from Kate Winslet, who has served as sole juror since the inception of the award in 2021.
“Such platforms are essential in supporting emerging female talent, giving them the opportunity to showcase their unique skills and work and empowering them to become the artist they want to be. The extraordinary talents of last year’s finalists were truly breathtaking; I can’t wait to watch the films.”
The Lights on Women’s Worth award was created to honor a promising female director from the two short film categories across the Official Selection. This encompasses the Short Film Competition nominees, as well as those of the La Cinef selection of film school submissions.
“For L’Oréal Paris, the Festival de Cannes is another occasion to empower every woman to express their true selves and to overcome barriers. In cinema, the massive underrepresentation of women requires large-scale support, and I am proud that the L’Oréal Paris Lights on Women’s Worth award keeps on bringing about meaningful change. Our commitment to female short-film directors is a first step toward creating lasting change against gender imbalance in the film industry,” said L’Oréal Paris global brand president Delphine Viguier-Hovasse.
Elle Fanning on the red carpet in Cannes 2023.
Michael Buckner for Variety
The Lights on Women’s Worth program includes a 20,000-euro purse and full support ecosystem for promising female short-film directors.
Brand ambassador Fanning will award the prize at an awards ceremony alongside the Cinéma de Demain dinner with Viola Davis, Andie MacDowell and Helen Mirren expected as guests of honor.
It’s a hefty role for the actress, who will solely view all the submissions, though a good fit. She directed the short film “Gucci Always Wins” in 2020, and has more recently stepped behind the camera into producing shoes for the upcoming series “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” starring Nicole Kidman, and “Mastermind.”
Fanning also has the ideal résumé: She served as the film festival’s youngest ever juror during the 2019 edition.
Elle Fanning on the L’Oréal stage in Cannes.
Courtesy of L’Oreal
L’Oréal Paris will hold a special screening of all the winners from the past three prizes at the city’s Olympia Cinema. The short film series will be held May 23, followed by a talk on the representation of women in the film industry with MacDowell and “The Voices of Others” director Fatima Kaci.
Kaci took home last year’s Lights on Women’s Worth prize for the film, which follows an interpreter at France’s refugee administration offices.
Fanning will screen the films and reveal the winners at an awards dinner May 24. L’Oréal Paris is an official partner of the film festival and brings 30 makeup artists to Cannes to ready talent for the red carpet.
Alongside Fanning, Davis and Mirren, actresses Gong Li, Jane Fonda, Eva Longoria and Aja Naomi King, French singer Yseult, and Paralympian Bebe Vio are expected to attend the film festival on behalf of the brand.