Jodie Foster to receive Cannes' Honorary Palme d'Or during opening ceremony

Jodie Foster will receive the Honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. She will also be the guest of honour at the opening ceremony, at which she will receive the tribute.

The honorary prize was previously given to Jeanne Moreau, Bernardo Bertolucci, Jane Fonda, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Manoel de Oliveira, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Agnès Varda and Alain Delon.

The festival praised Foster, a two-time Oscar winning actor, director and producer, for her "brilliant artistic journey, a unique personality with a modest yet strong commitment to some of the major issues of our time."

As previously announced, Spike Lee will preside over the competition jury. Leos Carax' Annette with Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard will world premiere on opening night.

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"Cannes is a festival to which I owe so much; it has completely changed my life," said Foster, who first attended Cannes in 1976, at the age of 13, for the world premiere of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, which won the Palme d'Or.

"Although I had already directed before, 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. 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," said Foster, who has had seven films, as actor or director, which were presented at the Cannes Film Festival.

Cannes president Pierre Lescure said, "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."

Cannes chief Thierry Fremaux added: "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," noted Fremaux.