Greta Gerwig
A former muse of US indie cinema, Gerwig, 40, became a box office sensation last year with "Barbie", the first film by a woman director to surpass $1 billion at the box office.
Gerwig made her name as an actor in low-key slice-of-life tales, most notably "Frances Ha", which she co-wrote with her husband, director Noah Baumbach.
She then turned to directing with quirky teen comedy-drama "Lady Bird" (2017) and "Little Women" (2020), and will next adapt beloved children's novel "The Chronicles of Narnia".
Omar Sy
One of France's most popular celebrities, Sy is now an international star thanks to the Netflix show "Lupin".
The 46-year-old's breakthrough was 2011 hit "The Intouchables" that earned him a Cesar Award for best actor. He appeared at Cannes in 2022 for "Father and Soldier" about African recruits during World War I.
Eva Green
Green, 43, was discovered by director Bernardo Bertolucci for 2003's racy coming-of-age tale "The Dreamers".
She has become a fixture of gothic and historical epics such as "300: Rise of an Empire", "Dark Shadows" and "Kingdom of Heaven" and starred in the recent French remake of "The Three Musketeers", but she is perhaps best-known for breaking James Bond's heart in "Casino Royale".
Lily Gladstone
Gladstone, 37, won multiple awards for her role in Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon", which premiered at Cannes last year, a breakthrough for Native American actors in Hollywood.
She previously starred in Kelly Reichardt's "Certain Women" and will next appear in Apple's "Fancy Dance".
Hirokazu Kore-Eda
A fixture at Cannes, the Japanese director, 61, has won multiple prizes at the festival for his quietly powerful tales of ordinary families in difficult situations, including the Palme d'Or in 2018 for "Shoplifters" and best screenplay for last year's "Monster".
Pierfrancesco Favino
One of Italy's top actors, Favino, 54, was a mafia boss-turned-informant in the 2019 Cannes entry "The Traitor", and won best actor at the following year's Venice Film Festival for "Padrenostro" about a father targeted by left-wing terrorists.
He will next appear alongside Angelina Jolie in Maria Callas biopic "Maria".
Juan Antonio Bayona
The 49-year-old Spanish director earned an Oscar nomination this year for "Society of the Snow" about the survivors of a plane crash in the Andes, which won 12 Goya Awards in Spain.
His earlier films include the award-winning horror "The Orphanage", and "The Impossible" about the 2004 Asian tsunami starring Naomi Watts.
Ebru Ceylan
A photographer and art director, Ceylan, 48, is best-known for her work alongside her husband, director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, co-writing films including "Three Monkeys" (2008), "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia" (2011) and the Palme d'Or-winning "Winter Sleep" (2014).
Nadine Labaki
Winner of the third-place Jury Prize in 2018 for "Capernaum" about an abused child suing his parents, the Lebanese director, 50, has also been a regular at Cannes. She won a residency at the festival in 2004 to develop her film "Caramel" about a beauty salon, which became the biggest-ever international success for Lebanese cinema.
