http://www.festival-cannes.fr/news_arch ... =index.php
EMIR KUSTURICA PRESIDENT DU JURY DE CANNES
Press release, January 20th 2005


Emir Kusturica is to be President of the Jury for the 58th Festival de Cannes which takes place from May 11th to 22nd 2005.

When selected for the first time at Cannes in 1985, he won the Palme d'Or for When Father was Away on Business. He returned in 1989 with Time of the Gypsies, and was awarded the Director's Prize. In 1995, Underground saw him join the very select group of directors who have twice been awarded the Palme d'Or.
After the success of Life is a Miracle in 2004, Emir Kusturica accepted to preside this year the Jury of the Festival de Cannes, he who once said "I have been born several times, and I'm sure that one of those times was in Cannes."

On this occasion, he told us:
"I want to thank the Festival de Cannes, which has twice recognized my films, in 1985 and in 1995, by awarding me the Palme d'Or. Now it is my turn to defend the values of the Festival: I have set my task as Jury President to place aesthetics and art at the heart of the event."

Emir Kusturica (19/01/05)

w00t! everyone who hears me rave about Black Cat, White Cat and I know everyone here has, its the film Kusturica did after Underground. This is going to be interesting, I'm glad he's received such nice recognition. He's pretty big even in the states, but somehow never quite broke through into the mainstream, which is too bad. I wonder how much his films have grossed here box office wise.

Anyway, Undergroubd gets alot of loving as his best film, which is too bad, because I don't think it is. It two hours and forty five minutes and I'll admit I got about two hours and fifteen minutes into it and stopped. I just didn't care who the story panned out. Stylistically his building of spaces somehow didn't work with the completely unsympathetic characters. It just got ingratiatingly annoying despite what I think was supposed to be social commentary. Black Cat, white Cat is just 100% good fun and everyone should watch it and will love it. Where the hell is Snrub? I've been demanding he see this for eons but I don't think he's ever seen one of the posts were I do.

I've also seen In the Time of the Gypsies, which is strong, but definately can be felt as an "earlier" movie. Hadn't quite fixed all the kinks, and that frenetic style of his requires smooth and very full narrative (multiple character's stories works best). But In the Time is very affectionate towards characters even if not quite fleshing out their stories.

Heh....I'm not sure what the President does (over a jury member lets say) but if he has some extra power, than there are going to be some kookie picks this year!