2026 Graduation Films Jury
Discover the Graduation Films jury members for the 2026 edition’s awards.
Dominique BAZAY
Producer, Director of Original Animation Netflix
Canada
Dominique Bazay is a producer and executive from Quebec. She began her career at Paragon Entertainment, then moved to BBC Worldwide, before going on to work at DHX Media and Bell Media, gaining solid expertise in programming and distribution. In 2015, she joined Netflix, initially in children's acquisitions, then in original animation, where she oversaw ambitious international projects. In particular, she contributed to the emergence of Hilda and Arcane, supported the presentation of the Stranger Things: Tales from '85 project at Annecy, and contributed to the success of the animated series Asterix with Alain Chabat. Her career reflects a steadfast dedication to promoting animation that is inventive, ambitious and with a global outlook.
Claude CLOUTIER
Illustrator, Comic Book Artist, Animation Filmmaker
Canada
Claude Cloutier initially rose to fame as a comic book artist with the series La Légende des Jean-Guy and Gilles la jungle contre Méchant-man, which was republished in 2014 and selected for the Angoulême International Comics Festival (Heritage Award). He then moved on to direct several animation films, including The Persistent Peddler (1988, in competition at Cannes Film Festival), Overdose (1994), From the Big Bang to Tuesday Morning (2000), Sleeping Betty (2007, winner of some twenty awards, including the Genie and Jutra Awards for Best Animated Short Film), The Trenches (2010), and Interférence (2014). His works Carface (2015) and Bad Seeds (2020), selected and awarded at several national and international festivals, were also included in the exclusive Oscars' shortlist. He is currently working on a new animation film entitled Le Club.
Thomas JOLLY
– Actor, Theatre Director, Chair of the CNC Video Games Committee
France
Thomas Jolly is a French actor and director of theatre and opera. He is known for his ambitious and innovative vision of contemporary theatre.
Born in Rouen in 1982, he founded the company La Piccola Familia in 2006, quickly making a name for himself through his original and often monumental productions. His adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry VI in 2014, an 18-hour theatrical marathon, was acclaimed by critics and firmly established his reputation. Thomas Jolly has both directed and performed in numerous plays. He is particularly admired for his ability to reinterpret the classics with a modern twist, thereby making theatre accessible to a wider audience.
In 2022, he directed a new production of Michel Berger and Luc Plamondon's cult rock opera Starmania, which became an international smash hit and further cemented his reputation. Awarded several Molières in 2023 (French theatre awards), Jolly has successfully established his unique style, combining powerful visual aesthetics with emotional depth.
That same year, Thomas Jolly was also appointed artistic director of the opening and closing ceremonies for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games – the largest urban show ever staged in the world. For the first time ever, a ceremony took place outside a stadium, along the River Seine in Paris. This unprecedented show attracted 600,000 spectators and nearly two billion TV viewers worldwide. It also achieved the highest viewing figures in the history of French television, with nearly 25 million viewers.
Committed to bringing new life to the theatre scene, he continues to inspire and surprise with his artistic choices, while raising the profile of French performing arts.
Thomas Jolly has also been serving as volunteer chair of the CNC's video games committee since 2025.