Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia is back at the Cannes Film Festival – but this year, she’s not just showcasing her work.
She’s stepping into the spotlight as a member of the festival’s prestigious jury panel. From winning big last year to now deciding who takes home the honours, it’s been quite the journey for Kapadia.
Payal Kapadia made waves in 2024 when her poetic film ‘All We Imagine As Light’ took home the Grand Prix, the second-most prestigious award at Cannes.
That moment wasn’t just a personal win – it was historic. She became the first Indian filmmaker to bag the coveted prize.
Now, just a year later, she’s returned to the Croisette, only this time, she’s sitting among some of the most influential voices in world cinema.
On Tuesday, ahead of the festival’s grand opening, Kapadia posed for the jury photocall and participated in the official press conference. She stood alongside a power-packed panel featuring some truly global stars – Oscar-winner Halle Berry, Italian actor Alba Rohrwacher, award-winning author Leïla Slimani, Congolese documentarian Dieudo Hamadi, and Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo.
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Fashion watchdog Diet Sabya didn’t miss a beat and shared glimpses of Kapadia’s presence at Cannes, much to the delight of her fans back home.
For those who missed it, ‘All We Imagine As Light’ is a tender, quietly powerful story that follows Prabha, a nurse in Mumbai, whose life upends after receiving a mysterious parcel from her long-gone husband.
Alongside her roommate Anu, she travels to a coastal town in search of peace, and perhaps, healing. The film, which beautifully blends realism and dreamlike storytelling, was an Indo-French production – a collaboration between India’s Chalk and Cheese Films and France’s Petit Chaos.
The film’s international acclaim didn’t stop at Cannes. It also snagged two Golden Globe nominations.