Cannes, France, 8 May 2018

1. Wide, zoom in of Cate Blanchett arriving at press conference

2. Medium shot Kristen Stewart sitting down

3. Pan of press conference

4. Pan of jury (left-right) Lea Seydoux, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Ava DuVernay, Denis Villeneuve, Cate Blanchett and Robert Guediguian

5. Close-up Kristen Stewart and Chang Chen

6. Wide shot jury

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Cate Blanchett, jury president/actress:

"(It) was one of the first questions I said to Thierry (Fremaux - Cannes director), I said, you know, 'We really do have to have gender parity and racial diversity on the'… I don't chose the jury, but 'on the jury.' And he said, 'But we do.' And in Thierry's time there have always been, you know, there's a female head of jury, then there are four men and four women. So it just happens that I've tipped the balance. Sorry."

8. Cutaway camera operator

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Cate Blanchett, jury president/actress:

"For quality change to occur, for profound lasting change to occur it needs to take place through specific actions. Not through generalizations and not through pontification and it's, you know, it's addressing the gender gap and it's addressing the racial diversity and the equality and, you know, the way we make the work. And, of course, that's going on in our industry and I hope, you know, in many industries because the creative industries are no different from any other industry around the world in terms of those problems that they face. But, you know, is it going to have a direct impact upon the films in competition this year, six, nine months on? Not specifically. There are several women in competition but they're not there because of their gender, they're there because of the quality of their work and we'll be assessing them as filmmakers, as we should be."

10. Pan of presser

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Cate Blanchett, jury president/actress:

"Being attractive doesn't preclude being intelligent. I think that this is, by its very nature, a glamorous, fantastic, spectacular festival, full of joie de vivre, you know, full of great, good humor, full of discord and disharmony. Making art, making work is not always going to be harmonious and we are not always going to be in concord and agreement. The world would be terribly boring if it was, you know? I think that those aspects of the festival are things to be enjoyed but, you know, in an equal, fair and equitable way."

12. Wide of press conference

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Cate Blanchett, jury president/actress:

"Would I like to see more women in competition? Absolutely. Do I expect and hope that that is going to happen in the future? I hope so. But we're dealing with what we have this year and our role is to, in this next almost two weeks, is to deal with what is in front of us. And, as I said before, I'm not looking at the films as an Iranian filmmaker, or a Chilean, or a Korean, or a female, or a transgender - we don't have any transgender directors this year – oh, my God we failed already. But do you know what I mean? We're dealing with what we have in front of us and our job as industry members away from the festival is to keep working towards positive change."

14. Wide shot end of press conference

CATE BLANCHETT CALLS FOR EQUALITY AS CANNES FILM FESTIVAL PREPARES FOR OPENING NIGHT

The 71st Cannes Film Festival opens Tuesday (8 MAY 2018) with the premiere of Asghar Farhadi's "Everybody Knows," but the spotlight at the first post-Harvey Weinstein edition of the glamorous French Rivera gathering is squarely focused on issues of gender equality.

Ahead of the premiere of the Iranian filmmaker's Spanish-language debut, starring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, jury president Cate Blanchett introduced the female-majority jury that will decide this year's Palme d'Or, among the most prestigious honors in cinema.

Blanchett, a prominent member of the Time's Up initiative, said that the #MeToo movement will play a role in this and every future Cannes, but will not factor into their deliberations.

"Would I like to see more women in competition? Absolutely. Do I expect and hope that that is going to happen in the future? I hope so. But we're dealing with what we have this year and our role is to, in this next almost two weeks, is to deal with what is in front of us.

Competing for the Palme d'Or are 21 films, including new releases from Spike Lee, Pawel Pawlikowski and Jean-Luc Godard. Three of the films in competition are directed by women: Nadine Labaki, Eva Husson and Alice Rohrwacher.

Blanchett noted the festival has improved the gender parity of its selection committees. Juries, she noted, have in recent years been split equally, with the president tilting the scales this year.

"It just happens that I tip the balance," said Blanchett, adding a mock "Sorry."

Only one female filmmaker, Jane Campion, has ever won the Palme d'Or.

Lasting change, Blanchett said, will only occur with time.

"Is it (#MeToo) going to have a direct impact upon the films in competition this year, six, nine months on? Not specifically. There are several women in competition but they're not there because of their gender, they're there because of the quality of their work and we'll be assessing them as filmmakers as we should be."

Asked if improving gender equality at the festival also means dialing down the red carpet glamor, Blanchett said no.

"Being attractive doesn't preclude being intelligent. I think that this is, by its very nature, a glamorous, fantastic, spectacular festival full of joie de vivre, you know, full of great, good humor, full of discord and disharmony... I think that those aspects of the festival are things to be enjoyed but, you know, in an equal, fair and equitable way."

Joining Blanchett on the jury this year are actresses Lea Seydoux and Kristen Stewart, actor Chang Chen, directors Andrey Zvyagintsev, Denis Villeneuve, and Robert Guediguian, and musician Khadja Nin.

The winner of the Palme d'Or will be announced on May 19 when the festival draws to a close.