The Cannes Film Festival programmers finally managed to snag the largest money-maker of the Hollywood movie industry as director Steven Spielberg has been officially named Jury President of the 66th annual fest.
The Festival de Cannes, taking place from May 15 – 26 2013.
Spielberg stated:
My admiration for the steadfast mission of the Festival to champion the international language of movies is second to none. The most prestigious of its kind, the festival has always established the motion picture as a cross cultural and generational medium.
He succeeds Italian director Nanni Moretti, who helmed the jury for Cannes’ 65th anniversary last year.
Spielberg most recently directed Lincoln, which festival organizers noted is a massive box office hit in France and has been seen by more than 1 million people .
Furthermore,he is no stranger to the Cannes festival since his first film The Sugarland Express was screened in competition back in 1974 and won best screenplay, his E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial had its world premiere at the fest in 1982 and The Color Purple was shown at the 1986 Cannes as a non-competing title.
Spielberg will be joined by Jane Campion, who will head up the Cinefondation and short film jury.
He has been really busy this past few years with mo-cap and animated The Adventures Of Tintin, WWI epic War Horse and presidential tale Lincoln (two Oscars on Sunday).
Gilles Jacob, the president of the festival said:
I’ve often asked Steven to be Jury President, but he’s always been shooting a film. So when this year I was told ‘E.T., phone home,’ I understood and immediately replied: ‘At last!’
It looks like the Jurassic Park and Jaws helmer will be taking a little cinematic vacation to the south of France since his Robopocalypse, planned to shoot this summer, is now on hold as Spielberg gets the script right.
