The Critics' Week sidebar has announced the appointment of a new artistic director.

Jean-Christophe Berion will replace outgoing chief Claire Clouzot following his election by the French Cinema Critics' Union this week.

Clouzot, a film director with two credits under her belt, held the post of artistic director for the past three years.

Berion is currently editor in chief of the weekly Les Fiches Du Cinema and has formerly worked as a television and radio presenter. He has also directed plays and been a professor of dramatic arts at France's most famous acting school, Florent.

Critics' Week is the oldest sidebar at the Cannes Film Festival and this year gave its grand prize to Eleonore Faucher's Brodeuses and Keren Yedaya's Or in a tie.