Critics’ Week, a parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival that uncovers new talent, marks a turning point this Wednesday as Ava Cahen steps in as delegate general. She becomes the second woman to hold the post in the 61st edition and the youngest to do so.
The 36-year-old Parisian Cahen succeeds Charles Tesson, who directed the feature film committee from 2012 to 2021. She leads a house she knows well, a stepping stone for renowned filmmakers such as British director Ken Loach and Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu.
“I understand their mission and values, and it was essential to make them my own. The approach remains recognizable yet different because it is mine,” Cahen explained to Efe. She is a film critic and the founder of CLAP magazine in 2014 and FrenchMania in 2017.
Critics’ Week concentrates on first or second features and this year’s competition lineup. It closes on May 26 and features the debut work of Colombian director Andrés Gómez Pulido, including La pack.
“I think it is important for young writers to be present and to act as a bridge between their art, the audience, and cinema,” Cahen stated in a magazine feature that highlighted 1100 pitches with only 1 percent making the cut.
The pandemic raised concerns about fewer offers, yet both volume and quality remain strong. Cahen noted that cinema’s creative side and imagination are thriving, with strong entries from regions such as Colombia and Iran.
Among the films, five are directed by women, seven are in the main competition, and four appear in the special sections. This balance is uncommon at many other showcases or at Cannes itself.
“The first and second features are often magical, and the directors are highly active with work of impressive quality. Quotas aren’t necessary when the support comes from genuine passion for cinema,” Cahen observed.
Her appointment signals a broader shift. Previously, only one other woman managed the role on a weekly basis, Claire Clouzot, from 2002 to 2004. Starting in July, Cannes will appoint German leader Iris Knobloch as its first president, succeeding Pierre Lescure.
Being chosen for Cahen was described as a bold move by the French Film Critics Syndicate, reinforcing the Week’s evolution and Cahen’s own professional path.
“To say that a young woman is fully entitled sends a strong message. Directing a festival like the Week is not a random choice,” Cahen said, reflecting on her first Cannes appearance in 2008 when she attended with the out-of-competition screening Kung Fu Panda as part of her early exposure to the festival world.
Cahen, a devotee of television, cinema history, and Woody Allen, seemed destined for a film career. Her name was inspired by American actress Ava Gardner, a nod to her family’s admiration and a signal of the path she would follow in the industry.
The new leadership page adds names yet to be widely recognized in the sector, underscoring a commitment to generosity and talent cultivation while keeping the spotlight where it truly belongs. Cahen framed the goal clearly: to nurture emerging voices, give them space, and place attention on what matters in their work. After Cannes, she felt that the Week is part of the artists’ ongoing life.
This year’s slate also features British filmmaker Charlotte Wells, who made her feature debut with Aftersun, starring Paul Mescal, along with Chilean Diego Céspedes and Spanish Estíbaliz Urresola Solaguren in the short films section, and Anna Fernández de Paco with Nisam je stigao voljeti in the lineup. The variety of voices, Cahen believes, helps festivals reach broader audiences and keeps cinema vibrant, avoiding a narrow, pretentious auteur image. The aim remains clear: celebrate every kind of cinema and invite diverse audiences to engage with it.
Ultimately, the festival’s mission through the Critics’ Week is to keep doors open for fresh storytelling and to ensure that emerging talents receive a platform. The experience is about more than screenings; it’s about sustaining the artists’ journey and letting their work resonate beyond the red carpet.