Filmmaker Payal Kapadia, who won the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival last year, has been selected as a jury member for the upcoming edition of the event, the official website of Festival de Cannes said in a statement on Monday.
Payal’s All We Imagine as Light grabbed headlines after winning the Grand Prix award at Cannes Film Festival in 2024. The film, which is an ode to friendship and Mumbai, brought India back into the competition segment of Cannes after 30 years.
However, it failed to get a nod at the 97th Oscars. After failing to get nominated as India’s official entry for the Oscars, the film ran an independent campaign for all the categories, including best picture, director and best original screenplay.
Kapadia’s film was on a winning streak since last year’s Cannes. All We Imagine As Light was also named best international feature film at the 2024 Gotham Awards, New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles, Chicago Film Critics Association, San Diego Film Critics Society, Phoenix Critics Circle, Toronto Film Critics Association, Lumiere Awards and Asia Pacific Film Awards.
All We Imagine As Light was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, including best film not in English language and best director.
Having completed her film training at the Film and Television Institute of India, Payal directed several short films, including Afternoon Clouds, which was presented at La Cinéfondation in 2017. She is also known for her non-fiction film A Night of Knowing Nothing.
Set in Mumbai, All We Imagine As Light revolves around two nurses who are also roommates. Prabha's usual schedule is disrupted when she unexpectedly receives a gift from her estranged husband. Meanwhile, her younger roommate, Anu, struggles to find a private place in the bustling city to spend time with her boyfriend. A getaway to a seaside town provides them with the perfect opportunity to fulfil their desires.
All We Imagine As Light features Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam and Hridhu Haroon in key roles. The film is produced by France's Petit Chaos along with co-producers including India’s Chalk & Cheese, France’s Arte France Cinema, the Netherlands’ Baldr Film, India’s Another Birth, Luxembourg’s Les Films Fauves and Italy’s Pulpa Film.
The film is currently available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar.