Jodie Foster To Receive Honorary Cannes Palme d’Or

Jodie Foster will receive Cannes Film Festival’s honorary Palme d’Or this year. She will be a special guest of the opening ceremony on July 6 to pick up her award.

The prize, which has previously been given to the likes of Jeanne Moreau, Bernardo Bertolucci, Jane Fonda, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Manoel de Oliveira, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Agnès Varda and Alain Delon, recognizes artistic career achievement and a commitment to major issues.

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A total of seven of Foster’s films, as actor or director, have screened at Cannes. She attended the fest in 1976 at just 13 years old with Taxi Driver, which ultimately left with the Palme d’Or.

“Cannes is a festival to which I owe so much, it has completely changed my life. My first time on the Croisette was a defining moment for me. Showcasing one of my films here has always been a dream of mine,” said Foster on receiving the prize. “I am flattered that Cannes thought of me and I am very honored to be able to share a few words of wisdom or tell an adventure or two with a new generation of filmmakers.”

“Jodie Foster has provided us with an amazing gift by coming to celebrate the return of the Festival on the Croisette. Her aura is unparalleled: she embodies modernity, the radiant intelligence of independence and the need for freedom,” added festival President Pierre Lescure.

“Jodie never ceases to reinvent herself. She questions with her piercing gaze, learns from others, and is willing to step back from her beliefs in order to forge new morals. Do what is fair. An idea that she strives to convey in the decisions she makes as an actress and director, and which makes her so precious during these confusing times. we will honor her with warmth and admiration,” said the festival’s General Delegate, Thierry Frémaux.

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