Cannes Film Festival organizers today announced Robert De Niro as President of the 64th Festival de Cannes jury. Upon accepting the appointment, De Niro commented ”The Cannes Film Festival is a rare opportunity for me as it is one of the oldest and one of the best in the world. As co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival and the Doha Tribeca Film Festival I have an increased appreciation for the jury, who serve, undertaking an important role in choosing films that are represented in the world of film at its highest level, and these types of festivals help connect the international film community and have a lasting cultural impact’ adding ‘Having served as President of the Jury in the eighties twice, I know this isn’t an easy task for me or my fellow jury members, but I’m very honored and happy to head the jury for this year’s Cannes Film Festival.’
Previous years have seen fellow Americans Sean Penn, Quentin Tarantino and Tim Burton chair the jury.
Although no official film selections have been announced, film likely to compete for this year’s Palme d’Or include Pedro Almodovar’s “The Skin That I Inhabit” and Lars Von Trier’s “Melancholia”, as well as Terrence Malick’s long-awaited “Tree of Life.”
