George Lucas is set to receive the Honorary Palme d’Or during the Closing Ceremony of the 77th Festival de Cannes, which will be broadcast on French TV channel France 2 on May 25, Saturday.
The Festival 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.”
George Lucas states, “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.”
George Lucas’ debut in filmmaking was marked by collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola. Together, they produced “THX 1138” in 1971, adapted from one of Lucas’ short films.
With “American Graffiti”, George Lucas introduced us to Harrison Ford and directed his first major success.
George Lucas created a vast universe with unique geography, diverse populations, languages, and moral values in his “Star Wars” saga. The movie quickly became a global phenomenon that still resonates today. Over 40 years, Lucas built a Hollywood empire through nine episodes of the saga, four of which he directed himself. In 2012, the Walt Disney Company acquired his company, Lucasfilm, and its many subsidiaries.
In addition to the three Star Wars trilogies, he is also associated with the development of mythical films by other directors, from Akira Kurosawa’s “Kagemusha” to the Indiana Jones saga, which he created.
Lucas also founded Industrial Light & Magic, THX, and Pixar. He developed new visual technologies such as computer-assisted camera and contributed to stereo evolution in sound.
The Honorary Palme d’Or will be presented to him on stage at the Grand Théâtre Lumière during the Closing Ceremony on Saturday May 25, 2024.
