Jane Campion will head the jury at Italy’s Taormina Film Festival, which will be held in the Sicilian sea resort from June 10th to 14th.
Having the director, who won two Academy Awards for The Piano (1993) and The Power of the Dog (2021) and became the first woman ever to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, serve as jury president will help boost the international status of this prestigious Sicilian event. Now in its 72nd year, the festival is being revamped by marketing guru and festival specialist Tiziana Rocca.
Rocca, who has close ties to Hollywood, will return to the helm of Taormina in 2025, eight years after he was forced to resign due to political infighting in 2017 after a five-year term. Rocca’s first move last year was to reintroduce a competitive section consisting of 10 titles.
The 2025 Taormina jury will be headed by Davine Joy Randolph, who won an Oscar for The Holdovers.
Campion, who chaired the jury at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was part of the main competition jury at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, is definitely a hit for Rocca.
Director Rocca said in a statement: “I am very honored and delighted to welcome Jane Campion as president of the jury for the 72nd Taormina Film Festival.” “Her extraordinary talent, innovative vision and fundamental contribution to modern film history make her an important reference. Her artistic sensibility and authority will add value to this edition, highlighting high-quality film work and helping to inspire the filmmakers participating in the festival.”
Held since the mid-1950s at the Sicilian resort known to U.S. audiences as the filming location for Season 2 of “The White Lotus,” the summer fest boasts a large outdoor ancient Greek amphitheater in the shadow of Sicily’s active volcano Mount Etna.
Last year’s Taormina Fest was attended by Martin Scorsese, who won the Career Award, along with stars including Michael Douglas, Catherine Deneuve, Helen Hunt and Olivia Wilde.
Taormina’s guests over the past few decades have included Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Steven Spielberg, Federico Fellini, Pedro Almodovar, Tom Cruise, and more.
