Jane Campion will preside over the jury of Italy’s upcoming Taormina Film Festival that will run June 10-14 in the Sicilian sea resort.
Having a jury headed by the Australian director — who is a two-time Academy Award winner for ”The Piano” (1993) and “The Power of the Dog “(2021), and the first woman in history to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival — will help boost the international standing of the storied Sicilian event. Now in its 72nd edition, the fest is being revamped by marketing guru and festivals specialist Tiziana Rocca.
Rocca, who has close Hollywood ties, has been back at the Taormina helm since 2025, eight years after she was forced to step down due to political infighting in 2017 following a five-year stint. Rocca’s first move last year was to reintroduce a competitive section comprising 10 titles.
The 2025 Taormina jury was headed by Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who won an Oscar for her role in “The Holdovers.”
Campion, who presided over the jury of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was a member of the main competition jury for the Venice International Film Festival in 2023, certainly marks a nice catch for Rocca.
“We are deeply honored and delighted to welcome Jane Campion as president of the Jury of the 72nd edition of the Taormina Film Festival,” Rocca said in a statement. “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.”
Held since the mid-1950s in the Sicilian resort known to U.S. audiences as the location of “The White Lotus” Season 2, the summer fest boasts a large open-air ancient Greek amphitheater in the shadow of Sicily’s active Mt. Etna volcano.
Last year’s Taormina fest was attended by Martin Scorsese, who was honored with a career award alongside Michael Douglas, Catherine Deneuve, Helen Hunt and Olivia Wilde, among other stars.
Taormina guests over the past decades have included Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Steven Spielberg, Federico Fellini, Pedro Almodóvar and Tom Cruise.
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