George Lucas to Be Given Honorary Palme D'Or At Cannes Film Festival

At the closing ceremony of the 77th Cannes Film Festival, George Lucas will receive the Honorary Palme d’Or award, following Harrison Ford in 2023.

In a statement, the festival had this to say: "The Festival de Cannes is delighted to pay tribute to one of the greatest figures of contemporary cinema, a man with an extraordinary career, who brings together great entertainment and innovation, mythology and modernity and cinephilia and technology."

Commenting on the award, Lucas highlighted the important of Cannes in his own life and career.

“The Festival de Cannes has always held a special place in my heart. I was surprised and elated when my first film, THX-1138, was selected to be shown in a new program for first time directors called the Directors’ Fortnight. Since then, I have returned to the festival on many occasions in a variety of capacities as a writer, director and producer. I am truly honored by this special recognition which means a great deal to me."

In addition to the Star Wars franchise, Lucas directed American Graffiti and co-created the Indiana Jones films alongside friend and collaborator Steven Spielberg.

The Cannes Film Festival is an annual festival taking place in France, which showcases new films of all genres. In its 77th year, the upcoming festival will be on May 14 and 15. Barbie's Greta Gerwig will serve as jury president this year. Other recipients of the Honorary Palme d’Or include Michael Douglas, Tom Cruise, Forest Whitaker and Jodie Foster.

Photo Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney