Cate Blanchett, who is leading a Hollywood campaign to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace, will head the jury at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, organisers said on Thursday.
Ms. Blanchett, 48, who helped launch the “Time’s Up” initiative this week following a string of sexual assault accusations against prominent men in the film industry, will become the 12th woman to lead the panel at Cannes, which kicks off on May 8.
“We’re very pleased to welcome a rare and unique artist with talent and conviction,” Cannes president Pierre Lescure and delegate general Thierry Fremaux said.
The choice of Ms. Blanchett will be seen as politically charged after a year in which the sexual harassment scandal surrounding Harvey Weinstein sparked a deluge of allegations against powerful men. She was one of the first women to speak out against Mr. Weinstein.
Ms. Blanchett was one of over 300 top women in Hollywood, joining the likes of Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence, to unveil the “Time’s Up” initiative on Monday to tackle the pervasive culture of sexual harassment at work.
