Jodie Foster to receive honorary Palme d’or at Cannes Film Festival 2021: ‘I am flattered’

Veteran Hollywood actor and filmmaker Jodie Foster will receive the honorary Palme d’or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, the organisers announced Wednesday.

Jodie will be a special guest of the opening ceremony on July 6 to collect her award, which recognises artistic career achievement and a commitment to major issues.

The 58-year-old actor said Cannes holds a special place in her career spanning over five decades. She first attended the film gala in 1976 as a teenager with Taxi Driver, which ultimately left with the Palme d’or, the highest prize awarded at the festival.

“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 Jodie in a statement.

A child prodigy, the actor is best known for her Academy Award winning turns in The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs, along with other notable titles like Sommersby, Panic Room and Flightplan.

Jodie made her directorial debut in 1991 with Little Man Tate.

A total of seven of her films, as actor or director, have screened at the prestigious film extravaganza.

“I am flattered that Cannes thought of me and I am very honoured to be able to share a few words of wisdom or tell an adventure or two with a new generation of filmmakers,” she added.

Festival President Pierre Lescure said Jodie has provided the team with an amazing gift by coming to celebrate the return of the festival on the Croisette. Cannes Film Festival was cancelled last year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Her aura is unparalleled: she embodies modernity, the radiant intelligence of independence and the need for freedom,” added 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 honour her with warmth and admiration,” said the festival’s general delegate, Thierry Fremaux.

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Previous recipients of the honorary Palme d’Or include Jeanne Moreau, Bernardo Bertolucci, Jane Fonda, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Manoel de Oliveira, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Agnès Varda and Alain Delon.

Leos Carax’ Annette will open the upcoming edition of the Cannes Film Festival, which has filmmaker Spike Lee will serve as the jury head. The gala will close on July 17.

Jodie most recently won the best supporting actress Golden Globe for her performance in the true story legal drama feature The Mauritanian.