Jon Kamen to head Film Craft Lions as jury president

Jon Kamen (pictured), chairman and CEO, @radical.media will head the new Film Craft Lions at the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival this year, as jury chairman. 

The newly introduced Film Craft Lions category is an attempt at honouring the skill and quality of craft and technique demonstrated in the filmmaking process. Jon has served as an executive producer or producer of Academy Award-winning, Grammy Award-winning, Emmy Award-winning and Spirit Award-winning, features films, documentaries, television series and specials such as The Fog of War, 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America and Mad Men. His company has been twice honoured with the Palme d'Or award, presented to the best production company at Cannes Lions, The Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Communication Design and several other awards associated with the advertising industry, including numerous Cannes Lions.

Kamen was also the founder of the AICP Show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, a show that has been dedicated to focusing on craft for nearly twenty years. He has also been an active participant and contributor to the TED Conferences since 1987, and is a Trustee of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), among other engagements.

“Jon has long been seen as a visionary in his innovative approach to the business, much emulated and admired throughout the world. We are delighted to have him lead what is a stellar international Jury, with literally hundreds of Lions between them, and each, in their own fields, leaders at what they do. The calibre of the Jury is befitting of a category that will become the global standard for craft in film, and we thank them all for being part of it," says Philip Thomas, CEO of the Festival.

Commenting on his appointment, Kamen said, “I’m very excited to chair this prestigious jury. Why me? I’m gonna be eaten alive... but it’s important to distinguish Craft from the traditional categories of brands. Especially at this time, where Craft will evolve and the intricacy required will become even a bigger part of modern marketing communications. Let the debate begin."

The Film Craft jury will award Lions to films based on the quality of the direction, copywriting, cinematography or editing as well as the skilful use of music, sound design or animation. The level of the emotional bond with the work and whether the craft of the work adds something to the idea and pushes the execution will also be taken into account. Other jury members for the Craft Lions category include:  

João Daniel Tikhomiroff, president, Mixer, Brazil

François Chilot, president producer, Les Producers, France

Calvin Soh, vice chairman and chief creative officer - Asia, Publicis Asia, Singapore

Ringan Ledwidge, director, Rattling Stick, UK

Joe Pytka, director, Pytka, USA

The Craft Lions will be presented in Cannes on Saturday 26 June alongside the Film, Titanium and Integrated winners.

To submit entries to this new section, click here.