Tuesday, March 26 2024

Forrest Whitaker will receive the honorary Golden Palm at the opening ceremony of the 75th Cannes Film Festival, following in the footsteps of Jodi Foster.

The American actor, producer and director will receive the award at the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival on May 17.

The award is a tribute to “a brilliant artistic journey, a rare personality as well as a discreet but strong humanitarian commitment to crucial topical issues,” the Film Festival organizers said.

As part of the tribute, Christoph Kastan and Thomas Samtin’s film “For the Sake of Peace”, produced by Forrest Whitaker, will be screened as part of the Special Screening on May 18.

“34 years ago, my presence in Cannes for the first time changed my life and made me believe that I had made the right decision to dedicate myself to connecting with humanity through cinema,” said Forrest Whitaker. “It is always a privilege to return to this beautiful Festival to showcase my own work and be inspired by many of the world’s greatest artists – and I feel incredibly honored to be honored on the important 75th anniversary of the Festival” , added the Oscar-winning actor.

Whitaker previously won the Cannes Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in Clint Eastwood’s “Bird.”

He also starred in three other films competing at the Festival: “A Rage in Harlem” by Bill Duke, “Body Snatchers” by Abel Ferrara and “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai” by Jim Jarmusch.

“When I welcomed Forrest Whitaker to Cannes, I was able to meet and admire an artist with a strong talent and a bright presence,” said Thierry Fremo, director of the Cannes Film Festival. “His filmography is both dazzling and completely complete.”

Thierry Fremo said he had also “closely observed his beliefs as a person and the attention he gives to the younger generation” and added that the actor and producer “contributes to making the world a better place” through his belief that it is possible.

Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ

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