For the first time since 2014, Cannes Film Festival is hosting a female-majority jury line-up – with Cate Blanchett as head judge.

Sitting alongside Blanchett on the judging panel, A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay and actress Kristen Stewart, along with French actress Léa Seydoux and musician Khadja Nin. And directors Denis Villeneuve and Chang Chen, and French film-maker Robert Guédiguian and director Andrey Zvyagintsev.

Which is why we were keen to hear what the actresses thought about the annual competition – which is undoubtedly a prominent fixture in the film industry – and it’s lack of selection of female directors.

Blanchett, speaking at an open-day press conference, said the increase in female representation across the board at this year’s event was evident of Cannes’ commitment to being more inclusive. However, the Australian actress argued that films selected should be chosen on merit and not gender parity.

“There are several women in competition, and 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 film-makers, as we should be,” Blanchett said, according to The Guardian.

In recent months, the festival drew heavy criticism for its lack of female directors in official competition this year. Only three of 17 films up for the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, have been made by women.

Cate Blanchett defends Cannes Film Festival’s lack of female directors