“Visionary” ‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas to be honored at this year’s Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes International Film Festival announced it will be awarding “Hollywood legend” and “visionary” Star Wars creator George Lucas with the Honorary Palme d’or on Saturday, May 25.

The award will be presented at the Grand Théâtre Lumière as part of the closing ceremony of the 77th annual event.

Lucas said of the honor, “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.”

He added, “Since then, I have returned to the festival on many occasions in a variety of capacities as a writer, director and producer,” noting, “I am truly honored by this special recognition which means a great deal to me.”

The event’s organizers noted, “Inseparable from the Star Wars and Indiana Jones sagas, George Lucas has forever given the blockbuster an illustrious history, and audiences the world over unrivalled pleasure.”

The announcement added, “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.”