Robert De Niro is heading back to Cannes, and this time he’s not just attending — he’s being honored in a big way. The legendary actor will receive the Cannes Film Festival’s honorary Palme d’Or during the opening night of the 78th edition, the festival announced.
And that’s not all — De Niro will also host a special onstage masterclass at the Debussy Theatre on May 14, where fans and fellow filmmakers will get a rare chance to hear directly from the icon himself.
De Niro is no stranger to the Croisette. He’s had a long history with Cannes, including serving as jury president in 2011. Most recently, he was there in 2023 for the premiere of Killers of the Flower Moon, his latest collaboration with Martin Scorsese.
“I have such close feelings for Festival de Cannes,” De Niro said in a statement. “Especially now, when there’s so much in the world pulling us apart, Cannes brings us together — storytellers, filmmakers, fans, and friends. It’s like coming home.”
Over the decades, De Niro has made his mark at Cannes. In 1976, he starred in not one but two competition films — Bertolucci’s 1900 and Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, the latter winning the Palme d’Or. He opened the festival in 1982 with The King of Comedy and returned in 1984 with Once Upon a Time in America. He was also back with The Mission, which snagged the top prize.
De Niro’s most recent screen credits include Netflix’s political thriller Zero Day and Barry Levinson’s Alto Knights.
Source: Deadline