Cannes is Coming. Sean Penn Proclaimed Chief Opinion-Maker

Having served on a film festival jury and about to again, I'm always interested to know who will be taste-making for the Cannes festival. (Or course my duties and Cannes duties are dissimilar. Perhaps it's like neighborhood junior league to the World Series but I don't know sports so my analogy is surely wanting. Shut up!) To be on the jury at Cannes you generally have to be world reknowned or heavily awarded in the arts ...preferably both. If you're a beautiful famous actress, sometimes they let awardage slide and err on the side of fame. Here's who will be deciding who wins the Palme D'Or and other career-making honors this year...

Head of the Jury

Sean Penn

actor/director/activist/next year's best actor Oscar winner?
"Is that my Palme D'Or winner in there? is that my Palme D'Or winner in therrrrre?"

Jury Members

Pictured from left to right: Actresses: Natalie Portman (USA) who you all know and (presumably) love, Alexandra Maria Lara (Born in Romania / Raised in Germany) who we recently saw in Control. Directors: Alfonso Cuaron (Mexico) Y Tu Mama Tambien and Children of Men mark him as one of my favorite working directors, Rachid Bouchareb (France) who was nominated for Oscar's Best Foreign Language film recently with Algeria's Indigenes (Days of Glory), Actor: Sergio Castellito (Italy) who recently moved into directing with Don't Move (Italy) and Director Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul of Blissfully Yours and Tropical Malady fame (Thailand).