Tesson to lead Cannes Critics Week after Berjon's term ends

Film critic and cinema historian Charles Tesson has been named the new delegate general of Cannes Critics’ Week, and in 2012 he will succeed Jean-Christophe Berjon who has held the post since 2004.

Tesson, who was elected by the French Film Critics Union, will take-up the three-year, renewable post from the 2012 edition.  

Veteran film critic Tesson was the editor-in-chief of iconic cinema magazine Les Cahiers du Cinema from 1998 to 2003. He currently teaches cinema history and aesthetics at the University of Paris III and has written numerous books and essays on film.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Critics’ Week section running parallel to the main festival prides itself on discovering new talent. Over its 50-year history it has screened the debut works of a number of now celebrated directors such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Ken Loach, Guillermo del Toro, Jacques Audiard, François Ozon and Gaspar Noé.

Among the highlights of this year’s selection is a special screening of Spike Jonze’s short animation Mourir auprès de toi, which he co-directed with Simon Cahn.