PARIS, May 14, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - An eight member jury led by Greta Gerwig
will decide the winner of this year's Palme d'Or, the top prize of the Cannes
Film Festival, which kicks off Tuesday.

- Greta Gerwig -

A former muse of US indie cinema, Gerwig, 40, became a box office sensation
last year with "Barbie", the first film by a woman director to surpass $1
billion at the box office.

Gerwig made her name as an actor in low-key slice-of-life tales, most notably
"Frances Ha", which she co-wrote with her husband, director Noah Baumbach.

She then turned to directing with quirky teen comedy-drama "Lady Bird" (2017)
and "Little Women" (2020), and will next adapt beloved children's novel "The
Chronicles of Narnia".

- Omar Sy -

One of France's most popular celebrities, Sy is now an international star
thanks to the Netflix show "Lupin".

The 46-year-old's breakthrough was 2011 hit "The Intouchables" that earned
him a Cesar Award for best actor. He appeared at Cannes in 2022 for "Father
and Soldier" about African recruits during World War I.

- Eva Green -

Green, 43, was discovered by director Bernardo Bertolucci for 2003's racy
coming-of-age tale "The Dreamers".

She has become a fixture of gothic and historical epics such as "300: Rise of
an Empire", "Dark Shadows" and "Kingdom of Heaven" and starred in the recent
French remake of "The Three Musketeers", but she is perhaps best-known for
breaking James Bond's heart in "Casino Royale".

- Lily Gladstone -

Gladstone, 37, won multiple awards for her role in Martin Scorsese's "Killers
of the Flower Moon", which premiered at Cannes last year, a breakthrough for
Native American actors in Hollywood.

She previously starred in Kelly Reichardt's "Certain Women" and will next
appear in Apple's "Fancy Dance".

- Hirokazu Kore-Eda -

A fixture at Cannes, the Japanese director, 61, has won multiple prizes at
the festival for his quietly powerful tales of ordinary families in difficult
situations, including the Palme d'Or in 2018 for "Shoplifters" and best
screenplay for last year's "Monster".

- Pierfrancesco Favino -

One of Italy's top actors, Favino, 54, was a mafia boss-turned-informant in
the 2019 Cannes entry "The Traitor", and won best actor at the following
year's Venice Film Festival for "Padrenostro" about a father targeted by
left-wing terrorists.

He will next appear alongside Angelina Jolie in Maria Callas biopic "Maria".

- Juan Antonio Bayona -

The 49-year-old Spanish director earned an Oscar nomination this year for
"Society of the Snow" about the survivors of a plane crash in the Andes,
which won 12 Goya Awards in Spain.

His earlier films include the award-winning horror "The Orphanage", and "The
Impossible" about the 2004 Asian tsunami starring Naomi Watts.

- Ebru Ceylan -

A photographer and art director, Ceylan, 48, is best-known for her work
alongside her husband, director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, co-writing films including
"Three Monkeys" (2008), "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia" (2011) and the Palme
d'Or-winning "Winter Sleep" (2014).

- Nadine Labaki -

Winner of the third-place Jury Prize in 2018 for "Capernaum" about an abused
child suing his parents, the Lebanese director, 50, has also been a regular
at Cannes. She won a residency at the festival in 2004 to develop her film
"Caramel" about a beauty salon, which became the biggest-ever international
success for Lebanese cinema.