Robert De Niro Will Be President Of Jury For The 64th Festival de Cannes

The Cannes Film Festival announced today that Robert De Niro will preside over this year’s festival.

The American actor, director and producer Robert De Niro will be President of the Jury of the 64th Festival de Cannes, due to take place from May 11th to 22th 2011. When he accepted the invitation, Robert De Niro said, “The Cannes Film Festival is a rare opportunity for me as it is one of the oldest and one of the best in the world.”

Inviting Robert De Niro as President of the Jury of Cannes, the organizers want to pay also tribute to the co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2011. Robert De Niro, well known for his love of New York, co-founded Manhattan’s Tribeca Film Center in 1989, the Tribeca Film Festival in 2002, which has a sister festival in Doha.

“As co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival and the Doha Tribeca Film Festival I have an increased appreciation for the jury, who serve, undertaking an important role in choosing films that are represented in the world of film at its highest level, and these types of festivals help connect the international film community and have a lasting cultural impact.”  M. De Niro adds, “Having served as President of the Jury in the eighties twice, I know this isn’t an easy task for me or my fellow jury members, but I’m very honored and happy to head the jury for this year’s Cannes Film Festival.”

Considered the best actor of his generation, Robert De Niro has built a durable star career out of his extraordinary ability to disappear into a character. The son of artists, De Niro was raised in New York’s Greenwich Village and studied under Stella Adler. After rising to recognition with Martin Scorsese’s MEAN STREETS (1973) and Coppola’s THE GODFATHER PART II (1974, best supporting actor academy award), he gained stardom with TAXI DRIVER Palme d’or 1976. He went then from one masterpiece to the other : Bernardo Bertoulucci’s NOVECENTO (1976), Elia Kazan’s LAST TYCOON (1976), Michael Cimino’s THE DEER HUNTER (1978), Sergio Leone’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA (1984), Brian de Palma’s THE UNTOUCHABLES (1987), Martin Scorsese’s GOODFELLAS (1990) and CASINO (1995), Terry Gilliam’s BRAZIL (1985) and Michael Mann’s HEAT (1995), among others.

In 1980, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for RAGING BULL (1980), directed by Martin Scorsese.

He came for eight films at the Festival de Cannes, two of which won Palme d’Or : TAXI DRIVER, in 1976, and ten years later, THE MISSION directed by Roland Joffe. De Niro dedicated to his father, a surrealist painter, his own directorial debut, A BRONX TALE (1993), which earned praise. In 2006, he directed a second feature THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

His latest blockbuster comedies, ANALYZE THIS (1999) and MEET THE PARENTS (2000) spawned sequels : LITTLE FOCKERS, released late December, is currently enjoying a successful run in France.

Source: Festival de Cannes