Sean Penn, the American actor and director will head the jury of
the 61st Cannes Film Festival, the organizers announced in a
statement on Thursday.
"All over the world, it seems there has been a rejuvenation of
cinema building worldwide, increasingly thoughtful, provocative,
moving and imaginative... A new generation of filmmaking may have
begun," Penn said in a statement.
He added "the Cannes Festival has long been the epicenter in the
discovery of those new waves of filmmaker from all over the
world."
US movie director Sean Penn
attends a photo call to present his latest movie "Into the Wild" at
the Rome International Film Festival Oct. 24, 2007.? (photo:
Xinhua/Reuters)
Penn also said he looked forward to participating in this year's
festival as president of the jury.
Penn won a best actor Oscar for Mystic River for his role as
anex-hoodlum who reverts to his criminal ways to exact revenge for
his daughter's death.
Penn's latest film "Into the world" is about a young idealist
whose journey to Alaska ends in tragedy and is considered a front
runner for major awards this year.
The 2008 Cannes Film Festival is scheduled for May 14-25.
(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2008)
