Iris Knobloch, the respected former boss of Warner Bros. France and Germany, became the first female president of the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 and was re-elected for a three-year term by the festival's board.

The German-born, Paris-based executive will continue to work with longtime Cannes representative and artistic director Thierry Fremaux, who remains in charge of the official selection.

Knobloch was elected by the board of the French International Film Festival Association, which brings together public authorities and film industry professionals. She succeeds Pierre Lescure as president of the Cannes Film Festival.

“I am extremely honored to have the confidence of the Board of Directors once again. I am very proud of the success of the past two terms and I am excited to work with our General Representative Thierry Frémaux and our dedicated team in the coming years. Let’s continue this journey together,” Knobloch said in a statement.

“Safeguarding the artistic excellence of the Festival, advocating for creative freedom and upholding the Festival’s humanistic values ​​will be the top priorities guiding my efforts. I will continue to protect the independence of the selection process, relentlessly support emerging talent and ensure that Cannes remains the creative capital of cinema A place where technological innovation meets and enriches each other.”

Knobloch resigned from WarnerMedia in June 2021 after 25 years in various leadership roles in New York, Los Angeles, London and Paris. During her time at Warner Bros. France, she supported bold and ambitious filmmakers, notably Michel Hazanavicius, whose black-and-white silent film The Artist competed at the Cannes Film Festival , and became the best French film to win an Academy Award. Best pictures. After leaving the studio, the trailblazing executive founded a $300 million European special purpose acquisition company whose backers include French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault, He runs luxury brand Kering and has been an official sponsor of the Cannes Film Festival since 2015.

Since Knobloch's arrival in Cannes, the festival has maintained its stance on streaming, allowing films to compete as long as they can be shown in French cinemas. While the policy, established in 2017, prompted Netflix to abandon Cannes and bring films to Venice or Toronto, it also allowed Cannes to showcase a more diverse lineup of films, including those curated by Fremaux and its selection committee. Excellent independent film.

This year, the film festival plays a more important role than ever in the awards season, with several Cannes films in the Oscar race, notably Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez, Coralie ·Fajit's "Material" and Sean Baker's "Anora".

The 78th Cannes Film Festival will be held from May 13th to 24th. Formal selections will be announced around mid-April.