Jane Campion set to preside over jury of Taormina Film Festival

Marking a high-profile appointment for the long-running Sicilian event, The Piano director Jane Campion is set to preside over the jury of the Taormina Film Festival.

Jane Campion is set to preside over the jury of the Taormina Film Festival.

Marking a high-profile appointment for the long-running Sicilian event, the 71-year-old director will lead the jury at the 72nd edition of the event, which runs from 10 to 14 June.

The festival, held in a coastal Sicilian resort, is undergoing a revamp under Tiziana Rocca, a marketing executive and festivals specialist who returned to helm the event in 2025 after stepping down in 2017 following political infighting. Tiziana had previously overseen the festival for five years and, upon her return, reintroduced a competitive section featuring 10 titles.

The 2025 jury was led by Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who won an Academy Award for her role in The Holdovers.

Jane, a two-time Academy Award winner for The Piano and The Power of the Dog, and the first woman to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, has previously presided over the Cannes jury in 2014 and served on the main competition jury at the Venice International Film Festival in 2023.

Tiziana said: “We are deeply honoured and delighted to welcome Jane Campion as president of the Jury of the 72nd edition of the Taormina Film Festival.

“Her extraordinary talent, innovative vision and fundamental contribution to the history of contemporary cinema make her an essential point of reference.

“Her artistic sensitivity and authority will be an added value to this edition, helping to highlight high-quality cinematic works and inspire the filmmakers attending the festival.”

The festival, held since the mid-1950s, takes place in an open-air ancient Greek amphitheatre and has built a reputation for attracting international filmmakers and actors.

It has gained additional visibility among global audiences as a filming location backdrop associated with The White Lotus season two.

Recent editions of the event have featured high-profile attendees.

In 2024, Martin Scorsese attended and received a career award, alongside Michael Douglas and Catherine Deneuve, as well as Helen Hunt and Olivia Wilde.

Over the decades, the festival has hosted a range of prominent figures including Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Steven Spielberg, Federico Fellini, Pedro Almodóvar and Tom Cruise.

Jane is best known for her movies The Piano and The Power of the Dog, helping pioneer female filmmakers globally.