The Cannes Film Festival is approaching, which means new movies will be screened and filmmakers will be awarded for their creative works and contributions over the years. For this year’s edition, George Lucas is set to be awarded the honorary Palme d'Or next month, as confirmed by festival organizers. The acclaimed filmmaker will be celebrated during the closing ceremony of the 77th edition of the prestigious French film festival, scheduled for May 25th.
With this, Lucas joins an exclusive group to receive the honorary award. Notably, Harrison Ford was bestowed with this honour last year, and other esteemed individuals who have received this in recent years include Michael Douglas, Tom Cruise, Forest Whitaker, and Jodie Foster.
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The festival announced that they are “delighted to pay tribute to one of the greatest figures of contemporary cinema, a man with an extraordinary career, who brings together great entertainment and innovation, mythology and modernity and cinephilia and technology.” While making the announcement, Cannes also praised the creator of ‘Star Wars’ for his “unflagging passion for technology” which has led him to become “one of the pioneers of the visual effects industry.”
George Lucas embarked on his feature filmmaking journey with ‘THX-1138’ in 1971, a production overseen by Francis Ford Coppola. This was followed by ‘American Graffiti’ two years later, featuring a young Harrison Ford, who then took on the iconic role of Han Solo in the iconic ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ released in 1977. Lucas’ contribution to the 12 ‘Star Wars’ films, four of which he directed himself, has solidified the franchise as one of the most beloved in the history of cinema. But not just the epic space saga, he’s also associated with creating the evergreen ‘Indiana Jones’ franchise, in collaboration with his long-time friend and acclaimed filmmaker, Steven Spielberg.
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“The Festival de Cannes has always held a special place in my heart,” Lucas said in a statement, adding, “I was surprised and elated when my first film, ‘THX-1138,’ was selected to be shown in a new program for first time directors called the Directors’ Fortnight. Since then, I have returned to the festival on many occasions in a variety of capacities as a writer, director and producer. I am truly honoured by this special recognition, which means a great deal to me.”
The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is scheduled to take place from May 14-25, 2024.
