Cannes Film Festival confirms president Gilles Jacob to step down

Jacob, who has been with the festival since 1977, confirmed his decision to leave his role as president in an interview with regional French newspaper Nice Matin, which is due to be published in full on May 11.

“I promised my wife several times I’d stop. This time, I’ll do it,” Jacob says in the interview.

The Cannes Film Festival confirmed the news.

“It’s nothing new,” said a festival spokeswoman. “Mr. Jacob was simply replying to a journalist from Nice Matin. He explained that there would be fresh elections for the executive board in December 2014 and confirmed that he would not stand for the post of festival president.”

The festival’s executive board, which chooses and invites the films in Official Selection as well as the juries, is elected on a three-year term.

Jacob, who turns 83-years-old in June, was appointed general manager of the festival in 1977.

He was promoted to president in 2000, appointing Thierry Fremaux as artistic director and Veronique Cayla as managing director in his place. Cayla left the festival in 2005 to head up Unifrance. Over the years Fremaux’s role has expanded.

There was no comment on whether Jacob’s departure would prompt a reshuffling of the board positions. The elections, as Jacob explained, will take place in December 2014.