TEHRAN -- Iran’s Katayun Shahabi, the producer of “Nahid” by Ida Panahandeh, which was honored in the Un Certain Regard at Cannes Film Festival in 2015, was selected for the jury of the prestigious event, the organizers announced on Monday.

She is the managing director of Noori Pictures, the Paris-based company that produced the acclaimed movies “Tales” by Rakhshan Banietemad and “Wednesday, May 9” by Vahid Jalilvand, which won awards at Venice in 2014.

She also owns Sheherazad Media International (SMI), the most important private company active in the worldwide distribution of features, documentaries and co-production with foreign companies, which was established in 1994.

The Australian director, screenwriter and producer, George Miller will preside over the jury of the 69th Cannes Film Festival, which will be held in the Mediterranean Sea resort from May 11 to 22.
 
Miller will work with eight luminaries of world cinema to decide among the 21 films in order to select the winners.

The jury also includes director and writer Arnaud Desplechin and actress and singer Vanessa Paradis from France, actress Kirsten Dunst from the U.S., actress and director Valeria Golino from Italy, actor Mads Mikkelsen from Denmark, director and writer László Nemes from Hungary, and actor Donald Sutherland from Canada.

Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s drama “The Salesman” will be competing for the Palm d’Or at the festival.

Photo: Iranian producer Katayun Shahabi in an undated photo

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