The Jury

THE

JURY

WOMEN ARE HEADLINING THE
WAiFF 2026,

in Cannes!

Two legendary artists—Chinese actress Gong Li and French actress-director-screenwriter Agnès Jaoui—are leading this must-see international A.I. film event. They will be joined by an exceptional jury to be announced soon.

Winner of the Volpi Cup in Venice
Appointed as president or jury member at major festivals worldwide, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Shanghai
Honored as Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France

Honorary César (2024)
César for Best Film (2001)
César for Best Supporting Actress (1998)

Claude Lelouch has been lighting up world cinema for over 60 years. a visionary director of “un homme et une femme” and 50 other films, he constantly pushes the boundaries, combining innovation and emotion. he chairs the world ai film festival to champion human creativity.

WAiFF

2026

Agnès Jaoui, a renowned French director, screenwriter, and actress, subtly explores human relationships, unspoken truths, and aspects of everyday life. Her films blend humor, sensitivity, and social commentary with profound humanity.

Aïssa Maïga is a French actress known for her leading roles in films such as *Les Poupées Russes*, *L’un reste l’autre part*, *Bamako* (for which she received a César nomination for Best Young Actress), *L’Avocat*, *Poet à tout*, *Bienvenue à Marly-Gomont*, and *Il a déjà tes yeux*. She has also performed on stage and won the Best Actress award at the Luchon Television Festival in 2013.

Kavan, professionally known as Kavan the Kid, is a Los Angeles, California-based film director and AI filmmaker. Combining traditional filmmaking skills with cutting-edge AI technologies, Kavan has gained recognition for his bold and innovative work that transcends genres and appeals to a global audience.

Roger Avary is a director, screenwriter, and producer. His collaboration with Quentin Tarantino on Pulp Fiction earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Renowned for his hard-hitting narrative style and dark humor, Avary has also directed and written several films (Lucky Day, Silent Hill), establishing himself as a unique voice in contemporary cinema.

Reza is an award-winning filmmaker, renowned for his bold and hybrid works, which have been screened at Sundance, Cannes, and Tribeca, including A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. He is also a pioneer of AI-generated cinema and co-founder of the generative AI studio Massive Studios. His work reflects a hybrid identity where cultures, histories, and aesthetics meet and intertwine.

An Italian film and television producer, he has over twenty years of experience in international audiovisual production. Specializing in premium fiction, he contributed to major series at Sky Italia such as Gomorrah and The Young Pope. He has also produced recent hits, including Tre di Troppo and Il mio nome è Vendetta, which is very popular on Netflix.

Joanna Popper is an award-winning producer at the intersection of storytelling, innovation, and AI. She develops projects that blend live-action footage with creative technologies, which have been presented at Sundance and Adobe MAX. Co-founder of SatireAI, she has produced over 30 award-winning short films and held key positions at CAA, NBCUniversal, HP, and Singularity University.

A leading French actress, Elsa Zylberstein has built a rich career spanning both auteur cinema and mainstream productions. Winner of the César Award for Best Supporting Actress, she recently portrayed Simone Veil on screen.

Nam Na-young is a leading South Korean film editor, best known for her work on Squid Game. She has edited over 60 films and collaborated with major Korean directors (Hwang Dong-hyeok – Squid Game, Kim Jee-woon – I Saw the Devil), playing a key role in the evolution of contemporary Korean cinema.

Depuis 2005, Serge Hayat cofonde et préside les Soficas Cinémage, finançant près de 600 films primés. En 2015, il devient associé de Fédération Studios, présent dans huit pays et produisant de nombreuses séries. En 2024, il cofonde Ozma Labs, studio transmédia innovant, explorant web2 et web3 pour répondre aux mutations du divertissement contemporain et mondial.

Ruby Yang is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, born in Hong Kong, who has worked for over 35 years between the United States, Beijing, and Hong Kong. Renowned for the power of her storytelling in both documentary and fiction films, she received the 2007 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject.