Hollywood veteran Michael Douglas is set to receive the Honorary Palme d’Or award at the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2022, in recognition of his “brilliant career as well as his engagement for cinema”. The actor, famous for films such as “Basic Instinct,” “Wall Street,” and Marvel’s “Ant-Man,” has an extensive acting career spanning over four decades. He has also produced several award-winning films, including “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” which won the best picture Oscar in 1975.
Douglas has previously presented four films in competition at Cannes, and his father, Kirk Douglas, presided over the festival’s jury in 1980. His films “The China Syndrome” and “Behind the Candelabra” will be part of a retrospective at the festival, as well as a documentary about his life, “Michael Douglas, The Prodigal Son,” directed by Amine Mesta, which will air on Arte and be screened at the festival on May 14 and 15.
In a statement, Douglas said it was an “honour to return to the Croisette (Cannes’ main boulevard) to open the Festival and embrace our shared global language of film,” adding that he was “heartened” by the renewed commitment of the festival to diversity and gender parity. The festival has faced criticism in the past for its lack of diversity in both its programming and its jury members.
The Honorary Palme d’Or award has been given out since 2000 and recognises the lifetime achievements of actors, directors and other film professionals. Previous recipients include Tom Cruise, Forest Whitaker, Jodie Foster, Clint Eastwood, and Jane Fonda.
The Cannes Film Festival, one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and took place in a reduced format in 2021. This year’s festival will run from May 16-27 and will feature premieres for highly anticipated films such as the new Indiana Jones and Martin Scorsese movies. The festival will also continue its efforts towards promoting gender equality and diversity in the film industry.
