Garcia Bernal to Serve on the Cannes Film Festival Main Jury Panel

It’ll be all business for Gael García Bernalat this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The 35-year-old Mexican actor, director and producer has been announced as one of the jury members who will make up this year’s main panel at this year’s edition.

Gael Garcia Bernal

In all, four men, including Garcia, and four women will support president Jane Campion on the jury panel.

The other world cinema “luminaries” include French actress and former Bond Girl Carole Bouquet; festival habituée Sofia Coppola, whose The Bling Ring opened the Un Certain Regard sidebar last year; Iranian actress Lelia Hatami (A Separation); Korean actress Do-yeon Jeon, winner of the 2007 Cannes Best Actress prize; American actor Willem Dafoe; Chinese filmmaker Zhangke Jia, who won the screenplay award for last year’s A Touch Of Sin; and 2011 Cannes directing prize winner Nicolas Winding Refn.

Garcia and his fellow jury members will judge the 18 films in competition with awards to be handed out May 24.

The Cannes Film Festival runs May 14-25.

Bejo’s New Film “The Past” to Compete at This Year’s Cannes Film Festival

Bérénice Bejo will be returning to this year’s Cannes Film Festival this May…

The latest project starring the 36-year-old Argentine actress, who served as the mistress of ceremonies at last year’s festival, will compete at this year’s event.

Berenice Bejo

The French-language film The Pastfrom Iranian-born director Asghar Farhadi, who won the Foreign Language Oscar for his 2011 film A Separation – has been announced as part of the official Cannes competition.

The film centers on Ahmad, a man who returns to Paris after four years in Tehran in order to finalize his divorce from his French wife. But his return results in a secret from his past being revealed.

Along with featuring the Oscar-nominated actress, the film stars Tahar Rahim and Ali Mosaffa.

Paris-based Memento Films Production produced the film.

Bejo to Star in Asghar Farhadi’s Next Film

She wowed audiences in her Academy Award-nominated performance in The Artist… And, Bérénice Bejo could have another date with Oscar in the near future.

The 36-year-old Argentinean actress, who was recently invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will replace Marion Cotillard in A Separation director Asghar Farhadi’s next film, according to Deadline.com.

Berenice Bejo

Scheduling conflicts reportedly forced the lead actress switch.

Shooting on the hush-hush project, a yet-to-be titled French-language picture, is expected to start in October in and around Paris.

Details on the film, which stars A Prophet’s Tahar Rahim, are being kept under wraps. But it’s being called a picture in the vein of A Separation with an element of suspense.

The film is expected to be completed in spring 2013 – just in time for the Cannes Film Festival.